Human Realm
by Tarisch
Summary: The Horseman's of the Apocalypse are send down to earth. In Human body's they follow the order of the council and hunt down a monster escaped from his prison and hiding in the Human Realm. But every Horseman takes their rare chance to visit the human plane in disguise and get lucky in their own way.
1. Strife

Strife kept chewing on the match in his mouth as he looked up from his cards. He had been playing cards for three hours now, some humans had left angry at their loose but there had always been others to take their place.

Expect for that one guy. The man with black beard and the cigar stump in his mouth nearly pierced him with his eyes as he had lost quiet a lot of money on this game.

Well Strife had been smart enough to let others win in a game once in a while, but they could never win as long as he sat on the table.

He was the master of cards in this little Pub they all just didn't know it yet.

The body's the council had given to them were enough to hide their true forms from the people of earth and seem like the next best human on the street.

And as long as he still had this body he would use it for all the fun he could get.

But his inner watch told him that Blackbeard had lost enough and would soon…

"I think you are cheating!" well, it was too late anyway.

Strife looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon please? What did you say?" he asked.

Of course, Blackbeard was right there was nothing better than being good at mixing cards, fast with your fingers and the occasional trick. Only really dumb demons still played cards with him and he the humans were a welcome change-

"I said. You. Are. Cheating." The man was furious, his eyes fixed at Strife, his hands fists.

Strife knew that his guns were still hidden inside his coat by the door, but he wouldn't need them.

"Do you have proof my good man?" Strife wanted to know as friendly as he could.

"No. Not yet. I give you that." The man answered grudgingly.

"But you are the one on this table who always wins, only sometimes loosing small amounts, for three hours straight. I call bullshit on that!"

Blackbeard took the cigar stump out of his mouth and spit on the table.

Strife just leaned back and relaxed.

"No proof? So why don't you go over to bar and take a shot on my expense? I see you are angry about your misfortune, but I tell…"

"I think he is right." Another man with a scar across his right cheek came from one of the darker tables and stood up besides Blackbeard. "I saw the game now for the last two hours and it is right what he says."

Well. Strife knew where this was going.

"Well, but you boys still got no proof of anything. Why don't you both got to the bar and take a shot at my…"

He landed on the ground sooner than he had expected.

Another guest of the Pub had taken a side and simply thrown him on the ground with his chair.

The first strike hit on his left cheek and Strife couldn't help but wonder how humans even survived with this weak body's.

The high amount of pain was something new to him and it exited him for about two seconds, then another strike hit.

"Could you stop hitting me for a moment man!?" the baldhead that had sat down on him could barely hear him over the sound of the out breaking bar brawl but he stopped for a second as the small eyes processed what he had said.

As Strife threw the cards in his face he aimed with one of them and flipped one directly into the right eye of the big man.

The baldhead jolted back and Strife brought is legs up to entangle his neck, pulling him backwards and of the horseman.

He got up with on fast jump and determined the situation.

Chairs broke and bottles shattered as everyone in the bar fought against another.

That was another strange thing that always happened in situations like that whenever he was around.

Everyone forgot about old grudges and jealousy, only to create entirely new ones at a drop of a hat and have a fight where everyone hated each other equally.

What reason that could be? Strife laughed to himself as his powers flew pack into his body.

He took the money from the table before turning around and giving the baldhead a kick to the head so strong he fell back on the floor.

The Horseman let out a sight, evaded two fighters and stole a bottle out of the hand of another before reaching the bar.

As casually as possible he took some of the paper money and set it behind the counter, only to look into the eyes of a frightened barkeep cowering on the floor together with an employee.

The amount of money doubled.

"Thank you man." The barkeep whispered as he reached for the phone above him.

Strife evaded a bottle without a need to looking back and it hit the mirror behind the bar.

"I am only paying my bottle." He said and showed the half empty bottle he had picked up.

He turned around and emptied said bottle, only stopping once as a man fell flat down in front of him before taking a big step over him.

Jumping over another table and tripping a guy that was running to fast before smashing his bottle on the head of another guy that didn't know his enemy had enough and finally arriving at the door.

The fight was already getting quiet as he put on his leather coat and stepped outside.

It was raining, as another guy was thrown out of the window besides the door and decided that the ground was his new friend now.

Strife shrugged and stepped carefully over him.

He took his mobile phone out of his pocket and checked it out.

Nothing.

Still no call.


	2. War

The rain had turned into light snowfall as Strife walked through the streets and watched as some vendors closed their doors behind schedule. The streets of the city were almost deserted of humans, only a few were hurrying home to avoid the coming cold.

The Horseman enjoyed the silence for a while and was humming a song to himself as he heard a certain clicking sound.

He looked up and saw a young woman, sitting under the transparent cover of a bus-stop, another clicking sound came from her direction.

Strife raised an eyebrow and walked over to her.

She had holed herself up in her jacket and tried to lighten her cigarette with an almost empty lighter.

He lit one of his matches and brought it close to her.

She looked up and saw the friendly smile on the strangers face before she lit her cigarette with his match.

"Thanks." She murmured as Strife sat down on the bench beside her.

"No big thing." The Nephelim answered as he eyed her up, noticing the long ash blond hair she hid under her hood.

"Do you have one for me?" he asked and pointed at his lips.

She only nodded and began searching her jacket for cigarettes.

He waited until she handed him one and lit it up, he drew in the first breath and tried not to cough as his human body was not accustomed to the smoke.

Strife calmed himself and noticed that the young lady was too lost in thought to have noticed anything.

He cleared his throat. "So… late from work I guess?"

She blinked and looked up as she came back into the now.

"I am Sorry, what did you say?"

"No other people with you, lost in thought, waiting for a bus, a bit sunken in like after a long day at work. I was just guessing you had a rough day."

She nodded and smiled lightly.

"Yes, quiet right. Today was just not my day it seems. Quiet a lot of work and not always pleasant."

Her smile vanished as she drew in another breath from her cigarette.

"Well, what are you working for that you look so thoughtful?" he asked, actually interested.

"I am just a nurse in the clinic outside the city, nothing too bad I guess."

"You are a nurse and you are smoking? Isn't the whole thing bad for your health?" Strife said teasingly.

"Well, it's my own health and you are smoking…" "Thanks."

Srife couldn't hide a smile as he saw hers. "…yourself." She added with a light chuckle and looked straight into his face.

"I also think you may want to check your own health before mine, because that is going to leave a nice bruise and a black eye."

He cursed himself for once again forgetting he was in a foreign body and not his own, who would have healed any evidence of the bar fight long ago.

"What happened?" she asked before throwing her cigarette onto the ground and stepping on it.

"Well, there was dispute about a game of cards in a pub not far from here, I tried to calm the situation a bit, but it seems like that didn't do me much good."

"Very clearly not." She said as she examined his bruise a bit closer.

"Could be that I need nurse myself." He said jokingly, flinching as she touched the area around his left eye.

She laughed a bit more and gave him a full smile as he recovered.

"Better than any medicine!" he said only half joking.

* * *

Another train passed by and through the underground station as War took another look around. He was waiting for someone, a contact person in fact, but not much had changed from the last time he had searched the station.

The young woman on the bench in front of him gave him a forced smile and looked away, obviously feeling uncomfortable around the big man with pricing blue eyes and snow white hair.

He ignored her and looked down the station hall, still finding the man in his red costume and fake beard sitting on a separate bench and nobody else.

Even from the distance he could basically see the man's age and his brown bag was full of cheap food which led him to assume that he wasn't very rich to begin with.

War had settled back to waiting and closed his eyes as he heard a group approaching, obviously drunk and badly singing.

He waited for them to pass or settle down but neither happened, instead he heard them yelling and cursing.

After a while War looked up again, only to see four young men, big, strong and drunk, circling around the costumed older man. It followed what he was suspecting, the young boys started mouthing off against the other man.

Calling him names and ridiculing him for still wearing a costume even if a certain holyday was already over.

The Horseman could see that the older man grow more frightened by the second, clutching his bag beside him even stronger.

But this was not Wars problem, this was not his world so others should probably take up action if the boys went too far.

He looked to the woman but she was busy looking in the other direction and searching for something in her bag.

One of the guys began kicking the bench the old man sat on and Wars eyes narrowed.

The yelling became louder and suddenly one of the boys ripped the bag from the old man, throwing it on the ground and laughing at the older man who still sat on his place terrified of moving.

War sighted, threw another look at the woman in front of him and stood up.

He flexed his shoulders, moved his left hand and got once more used to the feeling of actual flesh and bones at this place in his temporary body before walking head on into the direction of the yelling.

Two of the boys noticed him and alerted their friends.

The biggest of them was nearly as big as Wars human body and was probably doing sports, just like the rest of them.

He could see why they didn't run already, they were young and foolish, more than him and they were drunk.

Not too much but enough to overestimate themselves and pick on the weak.

"He had enough." Declared War as he stepped in front of them and nodded to their victim.

The boys just grinned to each other and despite them backing of from War they continued to linger around.

"But the guy is our friend!" the biggest of them said and slapped the older man lightly on the cheek.

The man didn't move, just took the slap and stared in front of himself.

"We are not doing him any harm you see? Just a little bit of fun!" the big guy exclaimed and faked a wide smile.

"You are lying and you should be showing more respect to your elders." War growled, not buying what the other man said for one second.

"Well, at last I am not ignoring him!" the guy sat down beside the older man and pulled him in to a reluctant hug.

The boys laughed and War ignored them.

"You are leaving. Now." he said, like a matter of fact.

"But this is a public place man!" one of the other guys said, dangerously close to him.

"Yea! You ain't telling us what to do!" exclaimed the next, stepping one inch closer than the other one.

Wars right hit him straight in the face and took him of his feet.

Another of his friends tried a wide swing at Wars head, but the Warrior ducked down and placed two strong punches at his abdomen that took the air out of his lung and let him collapse.

The third one tried to jump on his back but War managed to catch him by his shoulder, made a swift sidestep and threw him down on the ground with all his might, breaking floor tiles in the process.

All that happened in a matter of moments and only now had the biggest of them managed to stand up and draw a knife out o his pocket.

He didn't even manage to say something as War moved to him with two quick steps.

War catched the boys arm as he tried to ram his knife into the side of the Horseman and forced him to drop it.

A fast left swing hit Wars head and he ignored the strange high amount of pain before twisting the arm he had in his hold around and forcing the man on the knees.

"Ah! Shit! Okay, I am sorry! I mean it!" the young man was begging on his knees as War watched how two of his friends decided to make a run for it. One was limping, the other one spitting teeth.

"No you are not. You are only sorry to have met me." War corrected him and dislocated his arm.

The scream that followed was only short as War stepped aside and knocked him out with one hard punch.

War took a look around and nodded to the old man on the bench who seemed a whole lot happier now.

He was handing the man back his bag and received a truly grateful smile, something War wasn't too used to.

"Thank you." The man whispered as War heard screams from one of the exits of the station where three men dragged the two escapees back to him.

"We saw what happened." One of them with a black beard and the looks of just having gotten out of another bar fight declared.

"What did they do to receive such a beat down?" asked the next one with a scar across his face and a black eye nodding to the young man in the grip of his big but small eyed friend.

"They attacked this man!" explained the woman that had looked the other way before, holding a mobile phone in her hand.

"I already called the police. They were harassing him and he stepped in…"

War didn't hear what she was saying as he finally saw the man he was waiting for.

"What a bunch of a-holes." Blackbeard exclaimed as he heard the story and War grabbed the knife on the ground before he went to the exit without another word or looking behind.

As he had climbed the stairs to the surface he saw his contact again and approached him.

"A Horseman defending the weak, not something you see too often." The man in a brown business suit matching his hair color said seemingly to himself, watching the traffic.

"I was not protecting the weak, I was just beating a bunch of assholes." War said.

"Seems to me like it was both."

Wars Eyes narrowed. "I think Strife would have been better for this assignment, but we didn't know you would be coming."

"Originally Michael wanted to come, but I could convince him to let me get down here, since I still have business to do. But I would not say that Strife and I would go along any better, he would probably convince me to visit some bars or pubs until midnight until we forgot our mission. Sorry for being late by the way, I totally forgot that we weren't allowed to use too much magic on earth and the traffic was horrendous."

"Simply tell me what I need to know Raphael." War demanded.

"Cutting straight to the case, as ever." The Archangel in human form noticed and cleared his throat.

"Well, the monster the charred council wants to be hunted down and brought in is actually pretty human, at last in intellect. He has many names, now he is going with simply Joseph, some kind of jab at a guy from one of the humans holy books I guess. He is also actually from one of the middle planes of hell but clearly even the Devil himself branded him a traitor by now. Some day he had a mission down here but used some twisted magic to get a way back. We threw him back at last three times but somehow he always found another way back, this time he stole a artifact from one of the higher demons to do so. We wouldn't actually need your help to bring him in, but the charred council doesn't want him to simply be downcast again."

"They probably want to make an example of him." War said.

"A task much easier to do if the council had just hidden our true nature from the humans like any other mission, instead of putting us into this restricted body's."

"How is your arm doing?" Rapahel asked innocent.

"It feels a bit strange having one again, nothing spectacular. Go on."

The Archangel told the Horseman how he would be able to find the one they were looking for and all the details he thought would be necessary before he left to catch his train.

War made sure that the knife he had taken from the fight was hidden before he began to walk away.

He ignored the heavier falling snow, put his hood on and garbed the strange thing the humans called mobile phones. Maybe he should call Fury first.

* * *

Note: Any and all Reviews about story, content or writing mistakes are much appreciated and help me


	3. Fury

"…and that's how I ended up shooting a Elephant hunter in the butt." Granted it wasn't the best story Strife had ever invented, but claiming to once have hunt illegal hunters was not even to far from the truth. But then again that had been in a complete different realm and against a flying demonic hunter ship and its crew.

She touched his bruises up another time even when he flinched from the unused strong pain.

He was sitting without a shirt on the kitchen table in the small apartment of the woman that had introduced herself as Laura and done him the favor of taking care of his bruises.

After they had talked for a while on the bus stop and on the bus itself he had managed to convince her to let him go home with her, since he was in dire need of professional medical care.

She had known just as much anyone else that he was only simulating, but he had listened to her and her problems and lightened the mood.

He had listened to her when she told about the old man that had died today at the clinic she was working. Now he had no means to judge but the old friendly man had meant something to her, and if only because he should have survived his operation with ease.

In a spur of the moment he had decided to accompany her and by the smile he saw on her right now he was sure he had made the right choice.

She let her wet tissue dab the bruises on his tanned chest one more time and took a step back.

"I think that should be enough to heal these tremendous wounds. If there is anything else I can do for the patience?" she said with played devotion and held back a light laugh at her own silliness.

Strife had noticed how she had looked at him and decided to take his chances.

He stood up and came closer to her, moving so close that she had to take a step back.

"I heard a kiss can do wonders in the healing process." He said as gently as possible before leaning forward.

In the next moment he jumped backwards, holding his side which Laura had just mercilessly poked with her index finger.

To add insult to injury he bumped his knee into the kitchen table, lost his footing and fell on the ground.

"I am sorry." She said, but her laughter while watching his misery said quite the opposite.

"Oh no! So I lay here by the hands of the woman who pierced my heart! Will nobody come to my help!" Strife hammed his performance of the fallen lover to the limit by flailing his arms around which only caused her to laugh even more.

"Don't you think you are overdoing it a bit…" she asked as she reached for his hands to help him up but he took the chance and dragged her down to him.

She was still smiling after the sudden surprise and had nothing against his arms reaching around her.

"Well, what about that kiss my beautiful lady?"

"I wonder how many women heard that line before." She said trying not to laugh about his goofiness.

He could help but smile, Fury had always rolled her eyes at the amount of woman he had spent his time with in thousands of years. She was not wrong, and neither was the girl in front of him right now. There had been quite a lot of woman in his long life.

"You caught me, there have been some others I called beautiful as well. But they have all something in common with you."

"And what may that be?" Laura asked as Strife pushed himself up so that they were sitting and facing each other.

"I never called one of them beautiful if I didn't mean it."

She gave him a skeptical look that turned into delighted surprise as he quickly leaned forward and kissed her gently.

* * *

The snow fell thick outside as Fury looked out of the window, still listening to man on the other side of the table. It was the first time in forever since she had been able to meet someone who had not instantly recognized her as one of the most powerful enforcers of the Charred Council.

Fear, Obedient, Defiance, Respect were all normal reactions of the residents of all the different realms between heaven and hell towards a Horseman, which made normal and unbiased interactions with other people quiet difficult or outright impossible.

If there was one thing she was going to enjoy in this world it was that no one knew her name or statues, she was just one of them for the moment.

He was still talking about the ramifications of morals and religion and its influences on the modern justice system, something he seemed to care about as he was a lawyer himself.

And even thought Fury had never thought it possible herself, she found it interesting what he had to say.

It was something entirely different from the balance threatening missions the Council would send them on, ignorant of the gigantic War between Heaven and Hell, just a man talking about something he enjoyed.

That and the fact that he used many religious and historic examples that he only saw as stories his ancestors told themselves to pass the time and nothing else.

After all, she and the other Horseman had meet many Gods of different Pantheons and played their parts in their affairs when the former had still visited the Human Realm.

The waiter of the restaurant stopped by and finally delivered the food they had been waiting for.

She liked the look of the salad with small meat in it on her table and managed a hungry smile as her partner inspected his similar plate.

"I heard it tastes good." He said with a light smile.

"Only one way to find out if you heard lies or the truth!" Fury said and began eating.

Many different places in Creation prided themselves in having the tastiest food, but the results often varied greatly. Not having a couple of different drugs in it like that one time in Hell was definitely a plus.

For a Moment they were busy eating and Fury took a quick glance at the actually handsome man in front of her. It had only been yesterday when she had met him in one of the places Humans used to train their weak body despite many of them having no actual enemies or need for it anymore.

He had been the only one to muster up the courage to talk to the lady with the orange-red hair that had broken several records of the gym in one go.

He had introduced himself as Marcus, been friendly and seemed as intelligent as he was now, after the training session they had met in a café and in a quick decision she had agreed to the dinner he was offering her.

So far she hadn't had any regrets about it. He had even taken her warning that she wasn't looking for a partner without a second thought. And that she was wearing a elegant red dress instead her usual armor of iron and leather was something exciting different.

"But what would you take?" she finally broke the silence and added where he had stopped.

"I would what?" he asked, swallowing his last bite.

"You where talking about the beginning of the Trojan War, the old goddess of discord hat thrown her apple during the wedding. For the most beautiful of the goddess. I think you where at the part where they reach Paris."

"Ah yes, I remember." He said with a light smile. "Athena goddess of Wisdom, Aphrodite the goddess of Love and Hera the wife of the godfather. The first two offered Paris said Wisdom and Love in exchange for the apple that everyone wanted to posses, while Hera offered him a Kingdome to rule over. You remember what he chose?"

Fury gave Marcus a play full annoyed look to show how ridiculous this question even was.

"The young fool chose love and the promise of calling the most beautiful woman on earth his own. The last thing anyone should want to be predetermined and he takes it."

"I wouldn't have thought you are a romantic Lucia." Marcus teased her and called her by the false name she had introduced herself with.

Fury shook her head a little bit too soon for his taste. One of her own reasons was that she had never liked Aphrodite, seeing her more as the personification of Lust rather than Love.

The exchanges between her and Fury had never been very positive in the ancient times and even Strife had known to careful around her despite her looks.

"I simply cannot see how one could pass up on the promise of actual wisdom or even a kingdom of his own."

"Like people like you and I would have much fun with our own Kingdome to rule." He laughed and took another bite from his food.

She looked at him with played anger and strictness.

"I for one think I would make a great ruler. Rigorous but fair." She dropped the act and smiled again, noticing how he did as well.

"I mean, you said yourself that a society as a whole is a culmination of the story's that are told and the lives that are lived by example. Imagine a smart and just person like you as the head of an entire kingdom in ancient times. Maybe you would become the stuff of legends that would inspire us to this day?"

He only shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Marcus the Just! He abolished slavery before everyone else did!"

She laughed and Marcus joined a sincere heartfelt laughter about something they both enjoyed.

The more frustrating it was that Furys Mobil Phone rang and ripped them out of the moment.

She searched in her handbag and excused herself. "I am afraid I have to get this." which he took with ease.

After she had gained some distance and managed to activate the device she was so unused to she could hear her brother on the other side of the line. "Fury?"

"Yes, it's me War. What is wrong?" she said, withstanding the urge to be angry at him that he had ripped her from this moment. After all, this was War, not Strife. He would call her just to spite her.

"I got the Information about our target and a clue to find him. I thought I contact one of you to investigate this clue with me before we all meet up and discuss our next step."

"Did you reach anyone of the others yet?"

"You are the first one I called."

She sighted and took a look back at her so called Date, he was waving with one hand and eating with the other mimicking how good the food tasted with such silly faces that she couldn't help but laugh for a moment.

Fury frowned playfully and looked the other way.

"Fury, Are you alright?"

She wondered if her brother was actually concerned or that he had only heard her laugh a few times and was confused to hear it now.

"No, everything is alright War. In fact, it's actually quite nice right now. I meet a Human friend and we are having a dinner at the moment, and also a really nice time. We are where talking about the Trojan War right now, and just like you always jumped at the chance to pay this particular Battlefield a visit in Human form I would rather like it if you could find one of our brothers and ask them for help."

She half expected him to give rebuttal about how they hadn't come to earth for their own pleasure and be reminded of her of her duty to the council, but nothing in this direction came.

"So I guess you are having a good time." He simply stated, possible that her comparison to a bloody war and her situation had let him come to this obvious conclusion, but maybe he was just not as uncaring as he let on.

"If Heaven would be invading Hell in exactly this moment you would have a hard time getting me to leave right now."

She said with more anger than she meant to do, reminding War that for all her usual calmness and sensibility that there was a reason why she was named Fury.

"Who is the guy you are having dinner with?"

Fury could only groan in disbelief at the question.

"He is called Marcus and is a competent Lawyer. He is not trying to take me home or anything we are just having a good time. No need to worry."

A moment of silence followed and Fury wondered if he hadn't just cancelled the call without her knowing before he finally answered.

"Just remember that we won't be on earth for very long."

She heard a clicking sound and put her phone back when she saw that the call had ended.

Fury looked back at Marcus and caught herself liking the simple but friendly human more and more.

She knew what War wanted to warn her about, it was not like she hadn't been alive for thousands of years and had seen countless lesser races vanish in time.

With a sigh of resignation she returned to the table.

"I am sorry, just one of my siblings." Fury stated.

"Just one? Are there more? And is this sad expression a hint that they are all not as competent as their Sister?" He asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, they are all competed in their own way I would say. I don't know anyone as straightforward as our youngest, and while the second can sometimes be very annoying he always finds a way to cheat himself out of harm's way. And nobody stands in the way of our eldest for long that's for sure."

"Wow, seems like quiet a family. I only have one sister, but she is annoying enough for me. If I imagined two others, I would probably be long dead."

Fury laughed. If she imagined herself with only Strife at her side, she probably would have said the same.

She shook her head and ignored Wars last words. She was in the here and now and she should have fun, that's what mattered to her right now.

* * *

War walked through the cold streets of the city towards his destination. The snow fell thick and another man crossed the street as he saw him walking in his direction.

He beat the snow of his cloth and made sure to keep walking to battle against the cold.

If none of the others would come to his aid he would need to manage this on his own.

War shrugged, it wouldn't be the first time.

* * *

Note: Any and all Reviews or Suggestions about story, content or writing mistakes are much appreciated and help me stay motivated to continue the story. Thanks for following me so far.


	4. Death

The Human Woman was lying on his Stomach, her naked body only covered by a blanket as Strife moved his hand gently through her hair. Laura sighted and moved her head to face him with a warm smile.

"You know, I am not usually doing it with a guy that I just met. My colleagues wouldn't believe me." She said playfully.

"Well, just tell them that this guy was really handsome then. You wouldn't even lie." Strife mused while hiding a grin.

He managed to catch the pillow she threw at him before she moved up at his side and poked him in the belly.

As he turned to her to defend himself from her vicious attacks she stopped and held a warning finger in front of his face.

"You know, there is a fine line between pride and bragging."

"Well, I walk this line every day. I know my way around. Probably better than most..."

"You are really painfully full of yourself sometimes." She said with a full smile.

"You seem to like it." He said, pulling her closer to him.

"That's not it, and you know it." Laura answered with certainty in her voice.

That was the problem with smart woman, they nearly always were too smart for their own good.

He sighted and was about to kiss her again to share another moment with her as the sirens of a bomber alarm cut through the silence.

Laura stood up and looked around in confusion while Strife only groaned about the unfitting timing.

It took Laura only a couple of seconds to notice the mobile phone from which the increasing noise originated.

She laughed and leaned down to their clothes on the ground, inspecting the phone.

"You know, I think a certain War is calling, and he doesn't look to happy." She said with a stifled laugh.

"Yea, that's my brother." Strife admitted reluctantly. "And he is always looking like that." He added on before taking the mobile phone out of her hand and swiping to disconnect the call, only a profile picture of War in human form stared gruffly at him in protest.

"I didn't think you would have a brother. I understand the Alarm sound, but why the Name to begin with?" she asked while getting closer to him again.

"He is not my only brother, and his call sign is to remind me how he always manages to get into trouble by the drop of a hat and I usually need to get him out of it."

The places where usually inverted in their normal missions Strife needed to admit to himself since his easy talk brought him into trouble against formidable foes from time to time, but that was not the story he wanted to tell.

"Sooo, why are you not answering the call then?" Laura asked, warping the blanket closer around them.

Strife knew that War was calling him for the mission the charred council had originally send them on, but in his mind he only wanted to spent more time with the woman in front of him.

Besides, War was capable of looking out for himself and it was not like he was the only Horseman he could reach.

"He is old enough, he is going to be fine, and besides..."

Once again the alarm sound of incoming bombers erupted from the phone until Strife muted it entirely.

"Besides..." Laura prompted him to speak again.

"Besides, I didn't think you and I where done yet." He said before he threw the phone away and jumping on here.

She screamed in joy until he silenced her with a kiss while somewhere in the snow War cursed his brother.

* * *

Death walked up the stone steps, opened the massive wooden door slowly and stepped into the cold interior.

He dipped his hand in the small water bowl at the entrance and imitated the same movement of the cross as the person that just left the old church.

Death looked around, only candles lighted the large room and the oil paintings in their respective alcoves.

In the middle of it all was a plain stone altar and behind it a picture of a long dead man the old legends of humanity from the time of gods had turned into the son of the creator.

He saw the old man walking towards the altar at the same time as he noticed him and moved towards the small cabinet at the side of the room.

The old priest understood and turned around to follow him there.

Just as the Horseman had sat down on one side of the enclosed cabinet something moved on the other side of it.

"Forgive me father for I have sinned." Death said calmly.

"Fear not my son, our father is merciful to all his children. Tell me about your sins." The gentle voice of the old priest answered through the grid that separated them.

"I am a kin slayer." Death answered without hesitation.

"Please go on. Tell me about what you have done." The gentleness of the voice didn't change a bit.

Death told the old man the story he had made up. How he and his dozen of siblings had lived with their mother but with no father since everyone had a different one. They had managed to stay afloat with small crimes that changed to bigger ones as they grew older. From drug dealing to intimidation even broken bones or the occasional murder. They had basically ruled the suburb they had grown up in. Until their eldest brother decided to make more out of their talent and gone into a bigger city where they had fought other gangs and had several run ins with the police but none the less managed to do good for themselves.

But he and three of his siblings had grown weary of the fighting and their brothers recklessness, which ultimately lead to a dispute over a contract to burn down immigrant shelter.

The dispute grew heated and the over several days eventually snapped into a full blown fight.

At the end of it only he and the siblings by his side where left standing with the blood of their brethren on their hands.

The old Priest listened closely until the stranger on the other side of the cabinet had finished and thought for a moment in silence.

"I think you did the right thing." The Priest finally answered although hesitantly.

"I I listened correctly, your older Brother was rallying your siblings against you and was a man of power and not of heart or good will. You proved much when you decided to stand against him."

"But if I had acted sooner, or managed to convince my siblings..." Death felt it strange to protest, but something within him couldn't hold back.

"You acted just in time before a irreversible disaster happened, and you tried your best to warn your brethren. They decided which side they stood on themselves."

Silence befell the wooden cabinet for a while before the human priest spoke again.

"I cannot say the same for your other crimes, but since I doubt you would have taken the matter to the law enforcement to begin with your protest against your brethren was justified and I don't see you at fault that it turned into a fight."

Death laughed bitterly into the cold air.

"Doesn't your holy book say that killing is a huge no go?" he asked sarcastically.

"It also says that adultery should be punished by stoning. And man wouldn't be able to protect his family if someone is after him by force."

"I hardly protected my family there, now did I?"

"You tried to protect them from their own madness and misguided visions. There is more than just the physical realm that we need to protect. It doesn't make the death of your brothers better in any way, but you tried your best."

"I could have simply walked away." Death tried on last time.

"No." The Priest simply stated. "You are not a person like that, you don't turn your back on the problem, you face it."

For a moment Death was dumbfound about how right the human was.

"I wouldn't have expected you to put up with me. Do people usually confess their murder to you?"

"It happened at last once. I think I managed to help him. My people know that I am trustworthy and will take their secrets to the grave."

He didn't even know how right he was.

"I heard about your trustworthiness, that's why I am here. I also heard that you have problems with your heart. Did you take your pills this evening? I don't want to keep you from them."

"I have enough of them, I will take care of that when we are done her, not earlier.

Death only shrugged, he couldn't do more than warn him. Another man who put duty before himself.

"You know what is irritating me old man?"

For a moment the priest didn't answer and Death already thought he had scared him of but once again a gentle "Go one." asked him to continue.

"I see people talking about how praying to a theoretically god is foolish and that religion has done more harm to humanity than good, yet you – a wise and smart man – spent your life in a lonely church and pray to your god while dedicating your life to the people in your community. Why do you believe that your fait is not colossally misguided?"

The old man again gathered his thoughts before he spoke.

"I had a Atheist as a friend for a long while, and he asked the same question, he did me the favour of letting set his body to rest in our graveyard."

He paused and thought again.

"I will tell you the same as I told him. At its basic religion is nothing more than a Idea. Like Love or Justice, it only exists in our mind and maybe when we act to make it reality. Religion can be misguided just like Love or Justice. A dictator can put his laws up in the name of justice if he is doing it smart, a lover can tell his wife how her doing a certain thing will be a sign of love, which in turn can be used in different ways in a oppressing relationship.

However, it's much easier to misguide religion since many think it is about blind faith, even thought their god gave them a brain to use.

Like every thought construct it can change meaning over time, and if people only ever hear about fanatics destroying lives with their acts, and don't hear about their fellow man who got inspired by his religion to become a paramedic or similar, I can see how people can call religion stupid.

But I think religion is needed for a solid community.

Law, companies and media are cold and work by what makes money and a strict right or wrong. Religion is – from my point of view – a place to bring people together and discuss morals if need be. And even if we abandon the idea of a god, I think that this is something a community needs to live a whole and good life.

As for myself, I grew up with at last three priests who had this position after each other and all three where good and kind man one should want to aspire to. Several others came after them, but not with the same spirit and had they been the ones of my youth I would probably not have become a priest to begin with.

I also have seen so many crimes in my life that I can only hope that Hell is real, too many can go free without prosecution and some can even manage to hide behind the law.

Just like I hope there is a heaven where I can see my friends again. Not even for my shake, but I hope that the cat I buried in my garden in my youth has it just as well as my friend that never believed in my faith to begin with. They earned that much.

And even if the idea of a god is questionable, and I agree since I have no proof that one even exists, I still believe – or since it is basically the same – hope that a old man sitting on a cloud exists. At last I could ask him what this life is all about to begin with."

Finally the old Priest leaned back, only to notice that he had done so some time ago, his body just head seen no reason to tell him.

Only now did he notice that his surroundings had a orange taint that had not been there before as the door to his side of the cabinet opened and the stranger stepped into his vision.

"I am afraid it's time to go." He said and reached out his hand.

The former priest took the offer and was surprised at the lack of shock in his mind as his body remained behind and instead a blue phantom version of it followed the stranger outside.

"You little speech was quiet nice." The stranger said while trying to sound friendly, something he didn't seem to be very accustomed to.

"Why I am... I am..." the spirit of the old priest had difficulty to interpret the situation, which was nothing new for Death.

"You died because of your heart, probably of a heart attack or something like it. Yes, you are dead, and that are you not shocked by it is rather usual. I have seen humans so in rage by the time of their death that they even wanted to go back. Talk about a haunted house for example. Became less common when the time the council enforced the magical ban on earth during time your savoir over there died."

Death pointed at painting of Jesus at the cross behind the altar as the bodiless soul followed him there.

"Is he... Is he real?" the old man asked carefully.

"Who knows for sure? Some Angels had something to do with him in his lifetime, but most of them are dead by now or have taken a vow of silence about it. And since the Creator himself no longer shows his face he might as well be a figure that grew important by legend."

"Doesn't mean it is a bad thing." The Priest objected.

"I never said it was. Ideas and Ideals can come in many different flavours, they can be good, bad and outright stupid."

In a Moment of silence the two looked at the painting before them, Death at the crown they put on the man's had to mock him and the priest at the crying mother by his side.

"Is this so called Creator the god I prayed to?" he finally asked.

"Probably, since the angels call him their father as well. Doesn't mean he is the only god who still has some worshippers left. But it's unlikely you will manage to ask him what your life is about or that he even knows himself. He has not been seen since two millennia's and his biggest talent was to create live, never heard that he also gave it much meaning aside from your religions that are watered by humans."

Silence fell another time upon the two who didn't belong to this world.

"What are we waiting for?" the priest finally asked as he set down upon the steps to the altar.

"Heaven said they actually wanted to send someone this time. Since the ban theirs and Hells visits are even more spares than before, but sometimes they make exceptions." Death answered.

"Why for me?" "Because you are one of the good guys, simple as that."

Another round of silence was needed before the priest fully understood what the Stranger had said.

"Who are you then, and was this talk about your crimes even true?" he asked.

"All true and actually worse. And if I hadn't been around here to begin with you would have seen this one instead."

The priest took a step back as a giant figure without a face and just as giant scythe appeared before him, even thought he knew he was dead, he could have sworn that he felt his neck hair stand up.

"Death!" he managed to gasped without a mouth.

"Still surprised I see. But I am not actually him, he is the power that separates your human souls from their body's while I hold power over him. It's not like I am Death, even if is my name, but it's pretty close for someone who was a Nephilim once."

The Priest looked back at the Stranger as the giant figure disappeared and saw how a ghostly grew over him until he could see a man several heads taller than a man with purple cloth, dark hair and a white skull mask where his face should be.

"What happened to your face?" the human soul asked with disbelief.

"My Brother happened." Death simply answered, prompting the old Priest to look down. So he hadn't lied about his sins after all.

The altar room was suddenly beginning to fill with light that let the priest doubt vanish while Death simply crossed his arms and waited.

"It's about time." He said.

* * *

Death closed the door behind him and stepped out of the shadow realm just in time to hear his mobile phone play a trumpet song that sounded like soldiers were called to report.

Strife had changed his call sound again without telling him yet again.

Alexander Warfield was standing on his display and Death remembered that it was Wars alias for this mission, a node to Alexander the Great one of humanity's legendary figures.

"Anything new War?"

"I have the information about our target, but Fury is following another lead and Strife doesn't even answer my calls." The younger brother said with his usual gruff voice.

"Tell me where we are going to meet. I am on my way."

The cold night of the human realm was biting in his skin as Death walked through the ongoing snow, leaving the church and his latest priest behind him.

* * *

Note: Since I thought Death would be the one to try and find out a bit more about humans and their ideas in general I thought something like this would suite him when he is not doing deadly business as usually.

Some what inspired by the idea to the WH40k Story "The Last Church" even if I haven't read it myself.

Maybe the Priests Opinion is quiet long but I didn't want to do it only half way or simplify it.

Reviews and Opinions are always welcome.

Also a bit Relevant:

_"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by._

_If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. _

_If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."_

-attributed to Marcus Aurelius


	5. War's Night

Death walked through the thickening snow listening to the crunch every footstep made with an absent mind. It hadn't been the first time he had visited a human shortly before their death. It was interesting to see the viewpoint of a race that lived its life in a matter of simple minutes compared to all the big players in creation.

He had been called into creation long before humans had ever put a foot on this very planet he was walking on. Despite the things he had seen and the things he had done, sometimes he could not help but feel like their short-lived lives where a form of mercy.

"Even if you think your actions may have been bad, I think you are far from it." The last words of the old priest before he followed the Angel into the heavenly realm were still in his head as he took another turn.

Something about his words and their entire conversation had left the Nephilim with a feeling that maybe there was something valuable in the human race.

He had met the souls of soldiers on the wrong side of the war, criminals, rapists and worse. But every other time he met people like this priest.

It was like meeting a demon that would sooner die then break his word, or an angel that truly lived up to the ideals they aspired to be.

Death was so lost in thought that he nearly missed the small lamenting scream of an animal in the side street he was walking by.

He turned around and after a short moment decided to investigate.

The small meow repeated itself again, this time louder before Death cornered a garbage container.

On the floor beside the container sat a, albeit strong and mature, freezing male cat that had called out for the noise Deaths boot had made in the snow.

Now the cat fell silent, and he remembered the human myths about cats being able to see onto the higher planes of sight.

Whatever mood of Nature or trick of the creator had given them this ability, Death could feel that the cat was seeing more than the human body he was occupying at the moment.

"Now who do we have here?" Death asked no one especially as he kneeled down and gently petted the animals head.

The small powers he still had in this body and was allowed to use on earth where enough to take a look into the soul of the animal and when his light would extinguish.

When Death took his hand away from the warming up cat some seconds later he simply knelt there for solid three minutes and thought it all through while he absently petted the animal that pranced slowly around his legs.

It only had some more hours left to live, since it had not found any other hiding spot from the cold and would be frozen to death by morning.

Even worse, from the small glimpse of the cats live he had seen by touching its soul he knew there was a small boy somewhere in this city waiting for his furry friend to return home.

He had eliminated uncounted number of lives through the ages and he had never cared about taking a side in the good versus evil or heaven versus hell dilemma.

But it seemed like the Priest had been right with his last words.

There was enough in him to care about doing the right thing, and leaving the cat here to freeze was not one of it.

He groaned and cursed himself as he picked the scared cat of the ground.

"I am going to find your little owner and bring you back to him. I am only doing this because I have a good day. If you tell anyone about this I am going to kill you and give your soul to the nothingness. Understood?"

The cat just looked bewildered at the Horseman in Human form as he shook it slightly.

"Good, play dump then. But I know you beast are smarter than you look."

Death set the cat in the crook of his arm, which only complained with a weak meow, and walked off. Following the glimpse of an aura he had felt while connecting with the cat's soul that would lead him to its owner.

It wasn't that far away, and if he hurried he would still make it to War in time.

Also, as far as Death was convinced, if there was someone who knew how to deal with trouble, it was War.

* * *

War cursed under his breath and looked at the small watch on his left arm, the time needles immolated the dark he was hiding in just enough for him to see that Death was late.

He was sitting on the top of a small building and hiding in the shadow of another as he observed the waiting car in the parking lot below him.

The Archangels information had been correct so far, three man where sitting in the car and waiting for another group that according to Raphael belonged to the Demon they were hunting.

From what he had seen when one of them had left the car for a short moment to move his legs, they also had at last handguns, which made everything a whole lot more difficult.

War had never been the biggest fan of ranged weaponry, after all one should be able to look his enemy in the eye when he was going to kill him.

Not even mentioning how an honorable fight could turn into a mindless slaughter if the other side just brought enough ranged weapons.

Even in the beginning of the Nephilim race, heaven had used one-shot energy-lances while hell had invented the first gun powdered weapons to follow up.

Weaponry all together had changed over time. Flying ships with wide sails and horseless carriages int the times of the Nephilims had turned to flying tanks and giant ships of steel with large armaments of gun towers and one man fighters in their belly in the present.

Even now, during what could be described as a cold war between heaven and hell both armadas and flying fortresses stood watch over their realms and the ones under their protection.

Strifes use of his Bow on Horseback had drastically increased the deadliness of the Nephilim when they followed his example back in the old days.

As he had also been one of the first to use guns in his arsenal he and War had come into an argument over which one was the right weapon to use quiet often.

Not that guns weren't effective, War had used the heavier weaponry of both heaven and hell from time to time and they had burned holes into the enemy forces nearly as effective as Chaoseater.

But even though most races in creation weren't as weak to gun fire as humans, he was in the body of one right now, and as far as he knew even one bullet could mean his departure from this world and stepping I front of the charred council in shame.

Which was why he was still hoping for Death to show up in time, but that hope was vanquished as another car pulled up beside the first one and two men stepped out.

The doors of the first car opened as well and the other three men stepped out to form a circle with the new arrivers.

From the close spot he sat in War could hear them talk and soon realized that it was a weapons deal. He and his siblings had uncovered a few in the name of the council whenever some really valuable weapons or artifacts were about to change ownership into the wrong hands or put the balance in danger.

The normal procedure would have been to jump in, kill everyone expect for the ones that had some knowledgeable information for proof and further prosecution, confiscate the goods and drag anyone that was involved in the deal before the charred council to await judgment.

But this World was neither under his authority nor was he able to get ride of five armed thugs that easily.

And if the law enforcement of this world wasn't concerned with this deal, he wouldn't make a fuss about it. His job was to get information on the troublesome Demon that called himself Jacob.

Raphael had told him that group with only two men was working for Jacob and that they could be able to give him the information he needed if he would apply some pressure.

The deal down below him grew a bit louder as the leader of the three man group started to argue with Jacobs men over the content of two bags.

Apparently they were full of weapons but the price seemed too high for the buyers taste.

War sighed and waited. He had seen this dozens of times as well, someone of one side didn't like the deal and began to argue and threaten. Normally this would still work out and occasionally the deal would simply break, but there had also been times when some trigger happy folks had made his job a lot easier.

Strife could even tell stories of how he had manipulated the different groups into offing each other so that he could simply walk in at the end and demand the surrender of the survivors without touching his guns even once.

But the deal in front of War was at last professional enough to go through with it and before long the three men stepped back into their car and simply drove away.

The other two waited as one of them lightened a cigarette.

War waited a while to let them feel at ease before deciding to act and jumped of the building.

Despite being careful the crunching of the snow as he made his landing drew their attention to him but he simply walked forward without breaking his stride, only checking for the knife at his side once.

"Hey you!" the none smoker called out to him as War stumbled slowly closer and lowered his head, trying to look as unthreatening as a man of his size and build could.

"What are you doing here!?" the human wanted to know while resting his hand on his hip and in reach of his gun.

"I saw your friend has a cigarette. Could he spare one for a poor beggar?" War said, trying to sound as weak as he could, with little success.

He hated to be forced to device his enemies with simple tricks, but he also hated the thought of failing his mission.

But the thugs relaxed when they thought he was just another homeless and the smoking one even beckoned him to come closer.

Luckily his Face and Hair was mostly hidden in his hood and the darkness of the night as the thug expanded his hand and offered him one of his cigarettes.

War was less surprised at the random kindness of the human and more concerned with taking out his targets.

As he was about to grab the hand and throw the two men into each other the thug changed his mind.

He flipped the cigarette towards War, took a deep breath from his own and pulled his gun out.

"Really thought I would be so kind eh you scumbag?" he said with a snicker in his voice while aiming directly at Wars Face that was only inches away.

At last, that made things easier.

The other thug tried to intervene and say something, but the smoking one shut him up with a loud groan before dropping his cigarette.

"You know scum, I could just pull the trigger here and no one would be bothered by the death of one dirty homeless. The Police would probably not even file a report. You are just an ant under…"

While the thug still was on still making his little speech about crushing him War made a fast sidestep forward and crushed his face.

The man was thrown against the car behind him and fell lifeless on the ground as his colleague was reaching for his own gun.

War threw his knife from his hip and the man managed to duck below it while the Horseman sprinted towards him.

Despite the split second of surprise the human managed to draw and aim his gun at him.

A Shot echoed from the parking lot in the cold dark air and scared some crows to fly up.

For a long moment only the sound of flapping wings was heard, then the crunching sound of boots in the snow.

War dropped the knocked out thug beside his colleague and dropped the magazines of both pistols to the last bullet into the snow besides them.

He been some moments to slow, but he had managed to take his enemy out regalrdless

He was thinking about putting both men in their car and drive to a far off location to get one of them to talk in the same way as usual.

Faced with torture or apparent death either the treated one talked or the men who came after him and had seen first ones demise with only a few expectations.

Even most fanatics didn't like to die, especially if they had already seen how.

War took a deep breath and massaged his left shoulder before opening the car door as he heard another crunching sound in the snow.

As he froze to listen the crunching sound cased as well.

After waiting only for some seconds he leaned inside the car and looked for the keys.

He was just loud enough to let them think he wouldn't be able to hear them and just silent enough to hear as the crunching sound came closer.

As he found the keys under the driver's sun shade he leaned back out again, made a sudden turn and punched the first guy in the gut.

The human sank like a bag of potatoes on water before War made a fast sidestep and kicked his body into the man behind him.

Another fast step and punch to the face brought this human down as well.

Suddenly the two sparks on the car behind War and loud echoes told War that someone was shooting at him.

He ducked down and out of sight between two cars before he moved back, grabbed the gun of one of his attackers and took a firm grip on the car door.

War cursed the Humans and their weakness as he ripped the door out of the car with only two strong pulls.

Glass shattered as three other bullets hit the car before War put the car door in front of him as a shield and moved crouching forward between the cars.

He could see muzzle flash from the attacker when he risked a look outside his cover and held his course as he could see he was getting closer.

The Car door shook under the impact of several bullets but thanks to the sturdy nature of the car the thugs had been driving it remained mostly intact.

One bullet made it through a weak spot of the door as War moved closer and closer, but it missed him. The next bullet did not as it grazed his right shoulder.

He groaned at the sudden pain, took a last look at his target that now was only several feet away before taking the gun he had grabbed and opening fire.

War fired blindly, hoping to force his enemy to stay in position to close the last distance and take care of him up close.

His own gunfire was so loud that he almost couldn't hear the screaming that was coming from his far left.

"Police! Case your fire and stand down! You are surrounded!"

He had trouble remembering what the human Race called Police and needed enough seconds to remember that it was their word for law enforcement that he also noticed how the fire had cased.

War had heard the slight panic in the man's voice who had called out to him, for all he knew he could also be trying to lure him into a trap.

Which was why he was about to change his position and abandon his battered shield to find new cover as he heard a noise behind him.

He turned around fast enough to aim his pistol at the man in dark uniform that was in turn aiming his own pistol at the Horseman.

"Okay fellow, I don't know about you, but I am going to take you stopping your shooting as a good sign." The human said cautiously.

"You can do that. Put down your weapon and surrender."

The Human was baffled by Wars retort and fought for words for a short moment.

"No! You got it all wrong! I am the Police. _You_ surrender to _me_."

"You called yourself the Police. I have no reason to believe you. I also ordered you first to surrender."

War couldn't help but feel a bit of joy at the human's expense who was clearly reaching for words so much that the Horseman even thought he could actually be a police officer since a simple thug would probably have taken the chance and shot him already.

It was probably the same feeling Strife had all the time, something that didn't sit quiet well with War so he shock the feeling of.

"Okay, listen. Here is my badge…"

"To dark, I can't see a damn thing. And you could have stolen or faked it."

"I have the words "Police" on the back of my jacket in giant letters, should I turn around and show it to you?"

"Sure."

"Not going to happen."

"Yea, I thought so."

War couldn't help but feel a tiny bit disappointed that the human was thinking he was actually going to shoot him in the back. Then again, the words on his back wouldn't have proven anything anyway.

"Okay, look. What if I put my gun down and we talk this through?"

"What about your buddies?"

"What about them?"

"I could swear they are sneaking up behind me right as we speak."

It was common city guard practice, talk to the target until your pal sneaks up behind it and takes it out without too much trouble.

The human weighted his words before he began to speak and decided to go for the truth.

"The only other one that you didn't knock out was the one you had under fire, and not only is he a rookie, he is probably also out of bullets by now. So, there is actually no backup for me…"

"So I am not surrounded."

"Yea, that was a bit of a stretch."

War was about to ask him why he shouldn't just shoot him then before laying down covering fire and running for an escape.

But since that would also mean leaving his only source of information behind, he decided against it.

"Good. Remove your magazine and drop your weapons."

The men did so without hesitation and War stood up, checked his surroundings made sure there was really no one to come to the humans rescue and aimed at him again.

"Secondary weapon." He stated like it was a fact that could explain the humans confidence in his surival.

"Secondary weapon." The human confirmed and showed the pistol he had been hiding behind his back before dropping it on the ground after a moment of hesitation.

"Is this the part where I die?" he asked resigned.

War didn't answer before he had the human in his aim one last time, only to drop his own weapon on the ground.

After the man had shown so much willingness to deescalate the situation War was nearly convinced that he was actually what he was saying that he was.

He could hear a loud sound from his left side as another figure moved into position and aimed his own gun at him.

"I have him right here boss. Is everything alright?" asked a pained female voice over the dark.

"I guess that's not the part where I die either, right?" War asked sarcastically.

"It is alright Sophie, he is not resisting." The man in front of him called back before turning to War again.

"I take it, you are not?"

"Depends on what you plan to do with me next." War answered, acknowledging to himself that violence was no longer a big part of his options.

Besides, he had never been too eager to bring death to simple guards that were not his enemies and only doing their duty.

"Well. To be frank, if you could tell us why the heck you were attacking two arms dealers and nearly busted our covered observation before attacking us. That would be a great help, I guess."

The human was understating at his fines, but then again, he probably didn't want another conflict, which War could understand very well.

As Death finally came closer to the parking lot where had wanted to meet his brother he saw bright light flashing and police barriers that prevented him from entering.

He had made the mistake of delivering the tomcat personally to his home instead of ringing the bell and leaving.

The family of the house had been out of their mind as soon as the saw their cat again, it was like the homecoming of a long lost brother.

The parents and the children had nearly celebrated Death like some kind of savior and the youngest boy had nearly crushed his small furry friend in a big hugged and the cat itself had taken no time and jumped on the food they had hastily prepared for him.

It turned out that he had been missing for several days and as one thing lead to another before Death knew it the family had convinced him to stay for a little while.

Not that he hadn't enjoyed their gratitude, but apart from now owning several bottles of alcohol and other small presents he also was nearly an hour too late to meet up with War.

After he had seen a dead body being transported away he had nearly lost his mind when it instantly jumped to the conclusion that it could have been Wars.

But as he checked his mobile phone he saw that he had at last three missed calls not long ago that he hadn't noticed because the by some kind of demon invented thing had somehow put itself into silent mode without the Horseman noticing.

He immediately called back to War, only to find a police officer answering.

After he had managed to clear things up and find out where they had brought his brother he immediately found the next cop car that was leaving to the nearest police station and convinced them to take him with them.

The police officers in side simply didn't want to argue with a man that suddenly jumped in their backseat and threatened to break several bones of either one if they didn't bring him where they were already going to begin with.

* * *

And a new chapter, I was originally going to make it longer to clear things up but noticed that it would take too long to finish and I decided to make a cut here. So for now War is in custody of the law enforcement but I am trying to release another chapter as soon as possible.

As always, I am happy about any and all reviews or criticism.


	6. War's Night II

The snowfall had lessened as Fury and her Human companion finally reached his car.

"… and with a voice full of sincerity Steve said "But I _did_ get him!". I mean, he wasn't wrong. He had the man in chains and managed to bring him out. But that he had set nearly the whole place on fire while doing so, only to scare the crap out of the man he was hunting didn't seem like overkill to him in the slightest!"

Marcus shook his head in disbelief while hiding a smirk as Fury simply sighed. Of course she had changed the story of Strife catching and out scaring a wanted demon prince around into one that humans could comprehend.

But the point of her story came through regardless, Strife was one hell of a reckless man that could steal the nerve of even the most caring sibling.

"Sometimes I really wonder how he hasn't gotten himself shot at last once."

"Maybe his methods work for him?" Marcus tried to explain the mystery.

The young lawyer had accepted Furys cover story about her and her sibling's private detective agency and had asked quite a few questions about it since she told him.

He was about to ask another and open the door to his car as Furys mobile phone rang the second time this night.

She sighed to hide her frustration. So far she had really enjoyed this night and the company and the thought of yet another interruption was another way to ruin it.

"I am afraid I have to get this." She said with a weak smile as she noticed Deaths Number on the display.

Marcus only nodded as she answered the call.

"Lucia here. What's wrong?" Fury said to let Death know that she wasn't alone.

The older Horseman only needed a second to remember her cover name while he tried get comfortable in the backseat of the police car that was about to start.

"Lucia… right. I think we could need your help. Alexander has been taken in by the police after he busted a weapon deal. I don't really know what to expect, so any help would be appreciated.

I already tried to contact Steve but he it seems he has turned off his phone."

Fury cursed Strife and her siblings in her mind before she sighed and accepted her demise.

"Okay Mortimer, I'll be on my way. Just tell me where we are going to meet…"

As she hung up Fury could only excuse herself with a helpless shrug.

"Do you believe it? Just as I am ranting about Steve, Alexander has a run in with the police." She said, the only good thing being that she hadn't mixed up her siblings cover names.

"Like the night couldn't have ended any better." Fury said bitterly.

"Run in with the police you say? I don't know what it is about, but maybe there is a good reason you went out to dinner with a lawyer like me."

Marcus offered his help without a second thought but Fury only shook her head.

"I wouldn't like to drag you into our problems. We will deal with them ourselves. But I could really need a driver."

"Let's see what is even going on and then decide." He said before opening his car and gesturing towards Fury to take her seat.

As she managed to fold her elegant red dress enough to make herself comfortable she sighed again.

"I am just happy that Steve won't see me in this dress, he wouldn't let me life it down."

"Well, I think it's beautiful." Marcus replied as he started the car.

"Dresses are not usually my type. I just hope my two other brothers won't start laughing immediately."

Then again, they probably knew better.

* * *

War looked around the mostly empty interrogation room, well aware of the camera and the running recorder on the table.

He relaxed a bit since no one else was in the room and examined the graze shot on his right arm. He had attached a crude bandage over his cloth and denied and other medical attention.

The last thing he needs was doctors examining a simple wound.

It wound have been worse if they had found the bullet in his left shoulder that the second thug had shot at him.

The small hole wasn't very noticeable and the dark red jacket had hid the blood that had oozed into it quiet well.

The problem wasn't the wound, the problem was the weak human body that War was given.

Then again it would have been nearly impossible for any normal human to hide the pain from the police officers that had questioned him.

But he was quiet used to it. He was considering removing the bullet by himself as the door to the small room opened again.

The human officer that had argued with him not quiet long ago and introduced himself as Sören Bergström gave him a quick nod and sat down on the chair opposite to him before reading from a report he had brought with him.

"So… let's recap. You saw some shady looking people and decided to take a look.

Then you saw that at last one of them had a weapon and decided to take them out before they would do something stupid. You went in there, punched one of them so hard his neck broke and got the other clinic ready. Then you took a look inside their car in case they had more weapons stored there, before you would have called the police as you say yourself. Then you punched my first two officers to the ground of whom also one is in medical care right now, before deciding that physics are more like a guideline than a limit and ripped a car door out of its car. After that you nearly managed to get to my rookie with the intend of at last knocking him out since you had no idea who was attacking you, only to stand down when I convinced you that I am actually a cop. … anything I have missed Mr. Warfield?"

The Officer put his signature under the letter as War simply nodded.

"Okay Alexander, there are still some points that need to be clarified.

With the first thug you punched getting his neck broken and dying we have a rouge case of manslaughter.

Yes, your action was in self-defense but that doesn't change the fact that some people are going to take a look at it.

With us as your witnesses you shouldn't have that many problems. But they are probably going to keep you here for a while since you don't even seem to have a constant address or anyone that can bail you out…"

"I expect my brother to arrive soon." War said simply.

"Very good. This brings me to another point. Seeing your passport and ID we can determine that you have been to some places around the world. But we nearly have no information about the man called Alexander Warfield. No bank account, no home no nothing. Why is that?"

"Most of the time I don't use my given name when I am away. Having different aliases can help in some cases."

War had told the officer the cover story he and his siblings had agreed upon. They were a private detectives working for the highest bidder, something the backgrounds that were given to them by the council reassured.

The cop had no reason to disbelief him in that case.

"I get that leaving no trace can be a good sign in the business of a simple detective. But not only makes me the amount of nothing a bit confused. There is also the fact that there is a old report about a failed coup against a warlord in south Africa some twenty years ago, in which your name gets dropped exactly once. Your passport even confirms that you were there. We wouldn't have found it if our rookie wouldn't be so good at finding stuff in all the mess.

My question is, what did you have to do with this?"

War remembered it. He and a group of demons had been hunting a duo of angels that had stolen a passageway to earth. They had lost hope during their stay there as guardian angels who all adhered to the strict no physical intervention order that the council had given.

As they violated the Law with their presence and even planed to assassinate a tyrannical leader who used child soldiers War had been called and Hell had demanded to be allowed to assist.

War had used the same cover name back then, even thought he hadn't been hiding in a human body and simply trusted on the councils spells that let him seem like any other human.

The reason why the cop still had information about it was probably because the whole operation had nearly gone to hell and dozens of human people had died in the crossfire.

The Council had tried to blame War for it but he had managed to turn it around and point out how the presence of the demons with him had endangered the mission multiple times culminating in its disastrous end when some of them became too reckless.

"I was a hired as a mercenary. Things went south, people died. Not much more to know about it."

The Officer nodded silently.

"One question thought. Did you fight for the warlord or the rebellion?"

War looked the human in the eyes and saw the question he wanted answered in them. Had he fought for the oppressor or the oppressed? Did he fight for good or for evil?

"Neither."

The simple word stood in the room and as the cop was trying to figure out what to do with it a knock on the door interrupted him.

"Sören?" the blond woman that had held War at gunpoint in the end despite being the first in their struggle to get knocked out by him appeared at the door frame and gestured to her superior to follow her outside.

"What do you think about our new guest Sophie?" Sören asked as with a nod towards the door and War on the other side.

"He reminds me of some of the thugs that act like the street belongs to them. Only that this guy doesn't need to act and is actually as dangerous as he thinks he is. Anyone else would have taken our over for medical attention."

Sören could basically hear the grudging respect she had for the man.

"I had a similar thought. Back when I was in the military we sometimes met veteran soldiers that would take the most risky operations. One of them was quiet similar to this guy.

No nonsense, straightforward, nearly impossible to stop once he got going.

They said, unlike the others he was fighting for the fights shake.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was a similar case with this guy."

Sophie made way for another officer with a captive as the hallway was quiet busy at the moment form the arrests that they had conducted against the buyers of the weapon bags and their backers after another task force had traced them back to their hideout.

Also, the Christmas tree no one bothered to take care of until new years was taking quiet a lot of space.

"Anyway, how are Felix and our Rookie doing? Any news I need to know?" Sören asked.

"Felix has a broken nose but the doc said he is going to be alright. Our Rookie is the one I would take a look at if I was you. He is still a bit shaken up about the whole thing. But he also intercepted a guy at the entrance that says he is the brother of our guest that is giving him a bit trouble. You should go take a look."

Sören nodded and was about to make his way as she held him back.

"Say… what happened to your veteran guy? Did he eventually retire or what?"

"Some months before I was done he came back home in a body bag. I wasn't that surprised. For people like them it is probably the only way to end."

On the other side of the door War finally managed to pull the bullet out of his shoulder as the female officer entered the room.

The look of surprise on her face changed to disbelief as she saw the bloody bullet in his just as bloody hands.

"I guess this counts as evidence." War said as he put the bullet on the table to put his jacket back on.

* * *

The young man with the unkempt shoulder long hair in front of Death seemed very relieved as another human came to take his place. Unlike the young boy this man seemed to know better what he was doing.

"My colleague told me you are the brother of Alexander Warfield?"

"Yes." Death answered curtly, he was waiting long enough already.

"He also told me that you treated the two officers who brought you in?"

Deaths eyes narrowed. He was so tense that he was about to try and simply threaten his way further. But something told him that his human would have the total opposite effect on the human in front of him.

"I guess that was a joke, right?" at last the human was wise enough to offer him a way out.

"Yes. A joke." Death said while trying to regain his composure.

All this wouldn't have happened if he had been there on time!

"I meant to say that I would get here one way or another. One way included getting arrested after attacking an officer. But obviously it was meant as a joke."

The human only raised one eyebrow and gave him a specious look, but waved him to follow him regardless.

* * *

"Seems like this is going to be a family reunion." Sophie said while trying to crack a joke.

But the female with the wild orange-reddish Hair and exquisite red dress only gave her a look that could have sacred an adult bear back into his hideout, and probably the whole forest.

She looked at the paper the woman had signed and explained to her where she would be able to find her brothers of whom the last had arrived only fifteen minutes ago.

The only one that remained at the desk was the companion of the woman.

"Is she always that fierce?" Sophie asked cautiously.

"She doesn't seem to like it when her siblings when her siblings get into trouble it seems." He acknowledged.

The female officer sighed. This was one wild night, not only got the whole operation into trouble, a guy removed a bullet from his own body with his hands, and now his siblings stormed in, one stranger then the other.

"Anyway, could you tell me what troubles her brother is in? I am quiet experienced myself and as a lawyer I could…"

Fury didn't hear what Marcus was talking about as she had already crossed the corridor and opened the door to the small room War was held in.

She was quiet surprised to hear an old Latin dialect for the first time in many century's and she needed a moment to understand that Death was greeting her.

War saw the confused look on his sister's face and signed to the still running recorder on the table.

He was quiet sure that this thing was not active without a reason.

Fury understood and answered in an even older African dialect.

"Why are you two still here?"

War and Death exchanged confused looks before Death figured out the origin of the dialect and gave War signs so he would understand as well.

"War killed one of the thugs on accident while he busted their weapon deal. They won't let him go that easily. And we also just learned were the other surviving thug is held, only thanks to a conversation I overheard while outside." Death said in the same African dialect e had learned so many century's years before.

"Sometimes fate plays in to our hands." Fury replied still in the same dialect.

"Anyway, why are you still here? It's not like it would be impossible to fight your way out of this building." Fury said impatiently. Still angry about breaking off her evening in the first place.

"We are cooperating so far. And I see no reason to cause a dirt." War said, his dialect was a bit rusty.

"Also, the Council wanted us to stay under the radar as far as possible."

"Do I look like I care?" Fury hissed.

Death looked at her red dress and her styled up appearance in general before answering with a simple "No.".

Fury only groaned.

"Where do they hold that last thug anyway? I guess he is our source of information about the demon we are supposed to bring in?"

War only nodded and Fury could only shake her head at the sight of Wars bandages that covered his wounds.

"He is in a clinic on the other end of the city. They say he is out cold. We should visit it tomorrow if we can. But first we need to gather together and make a actual plan before we storm of like this again." Death said in the old African language.

Fury rolled her eyes, by now she could be drinking a coup a tee with Marcus, maybe find out what kind of books he liked, talk about all the things in the world and let tomorrow and her duties be far away.

But no, she was here and wouldn't get out of it so soon.

A moment of peace and quiet was too much asked with brothers like this apparently.

Only a room away Sören listened to the audio that came from the interrogation room and shook his head.

"I could understand at last some parts of what they said before, I had Latin in school, but this one here is a whole other dead language." Felix said in defeat.

Sören nodded to his colleague with the broken nose and was about to stand up and interrupt the discussion in the other room as someone else did it first.

War and Death both looked up as a young handsome man stepped into the room and stood beside Fury.

"I have good news. I talked with the higher ups, and so far it seems your brother can go. They only wanted a caution, which I paid in advance and…"

"You did what?!" Fury asked, undecided if she should be angry, surprised or thankful.

"You didn't need to…" she began, but a irritated Death interrupted her, accidentally in old Latin.

"Who is he?"

Marcus cleared his throat and thought for a moment before he answered himself in plain Latin.

"My Name is Marcus, may I know yours?"

A room away Felix lamented that dead languages should stay that way.

"He is a friend I met the other day. He is a lawyer and as you can see, quiet a help even thought he wouldn't need to."

War stood up and reached out his hand.

"War." He said, followed by a moment of silence.

"Actually Warfield. But my friends call me simply War." He added.

The look of doubt about the situation was clear on Marcus face, but that changed to pain once he took the hand the horseman presented to him as War had a tight grip.

The human was convinced that he would never be able to use that hand and the stern look in the other man's face reminded him that his date had a brother that was the size of a mountain.

Which was why he was surprised when the man talked.

"Thank you for your help Marcus, I appreciate it."

* * *

The human had driven the three horsemen to a nearby hotel where they had checked in for their stay on earth and were they had argued about their next step until it was finally decided that Fury would go and find Strife the next morning while War and Death would go and find the remaining thug to get information from him.

Fury stepped out of the bathroom in a towel as Death stood on the balcony and feed Dust who was paying them a visit as War was lying on the couch and reading a book.

"The Trojan Cycle" Fury read the title out loud.

"Any good?" she wanted to know.

"You talking about it sparked my interest again." The younger brother admitted.

"It is interesting to see how the humans tried to describe the actions of the old gods. Or how their legends added total new stuff."

"And no one remembers us." Fury added as she put on her night cloth.

"Technically, we weren't even supposed to be there." War said.

"Technically, we are still things of the future for humanity." Fury replied.

"And the future is always uncertain." Death added as he closed the door to the balcony.

"Dust is on his way. We will know were Strife is in the morning. Until then we should all get some sleep. Our human bodies need it."

And somewhere in the police building police officer Sören Bergström was finishing the last reports for the night as he noticed something that had been so obvious that everyone had missed it or thought nothing about it.

One of the siblings had called himself War, the others name was Mortimer, which came from Mort, which in turn was sometimes associated with death, mort could be understood as murder in at last one other language, which in turn meant death.

So if he examined all the information he came to the conclusion that … he had at last one half of the riders of the apocalypse? …

That didn't make any sense.

He came to the final conclusion that he should try and get some sleep.

* * *

Another chapter, sorry it took me so long but I took a short brake ant then I needed time to get back into it.

All the mistakes and the probably bad quality I am going to credit to the late hour I am writing this at. Just like the horseman and the rest I probably need some sleep now.

As always, pleas review if you can thanks.


	7. Grumpy Mornings

Strife whistled a made up melody as he put the jam jar next to the hot milk and the fresh bread on the dinner tray.

He looked around and found the honey jar on the small kitchen table.

The apartment of the human woman he was staying at had only four rooms and was small to begin with, one could navigate around the kitchen by simply turning, without taking another step.

Nonetheless it was enough for one person, even if Laura didn't seem to be the tidiest human, considering the cloths and books lying around in a mess.

But Strife wasn't one to judge, he had never been one to be very organized himself.

He checked that he had everything with a quick glance before he nodded to himself, took up the loaded dinner tray and moved to the bedroom.

The human woman was still sleeping, her ash blond hair lying tangled up around her head and her face was soft and relaxed.

Strife smirked for a second as he saw her peacefulness. When he had met her under the bus stop she had been brooding on the meaning of death, unavoidable in her work as a simple nurse.

Seeing her now was remarkably beautiful in the Horseman's eyes.

Even thought she was snoring a little bit.

Strife sat down beside her and decided against blowing in her ear to wake her up and to kiss her cheek instead.

She needed half a minute before she finally opened her eyes and recognized Strife.

"Good morning..." she murmured before she couldn't help but yawn.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked as she slowly blinked to fight away her sleepiness.

"I never slept any better. Just let me lay her for another hour or two, I could sleep all day long if I wouldn't need to go to work."

She closed her eyes again and Strife started to run his fingers through her hair.

After a while she gave up, opened her eyes again and turned her head around to look at him.

"You know Steve, I thought you would be long gone once I would wake up."

She probably had noticed how he had slipped out of bed early in the morning and drawn her own conclusion.

"Did you really think I would be leaving without thanking you for a beautiful night? You really think so low of me?" he asked with played dismay.

She smiled at his deliberately bad acting and shook her head.

"Well, you don't seem like that much of a bad guy, but then again I only know you for not even a full day. You could be a thief who charms the lady's before stealing their silver spoons while they are asleep."

She snickered to convey that she was only making fun of him but Strife knew that she was not foolish enough to trust him completely.

That was another problem with smart woman, they could see how he had charmed his way into their heart and where capable enough to see the danger in it and act if need be.

Then again, that was what made them so beautiful in his eyes to begin with.

"Would a thief ready a whole and fresh breakfast for his lady?"

She only noticed the dinner tray on his lap as he lifted it up a bit.

As she saw the food he had brought she only shook her head in disbelieve.

"You are mad! You even have fresh small tomato's? Did I tell you they are my favorite in my sleep or what?"

He grinned at her surprise and put one of the tomato's in her mouth.

She enjoyed the intensive taste and smiled.

"I have my own secret ways and hidden informants, you just haven't found them yet." he joked with a smirk on his face.

"Fresh bread, biscuits, jam, everything you want is right here, enough for two people and a hungry bear." he added.

As she laughed he suddenly froze and looked at the dinner tray in horror.

"What's wrong? Did a bear eat all the jam while you weren't looking?" she teased him.

"No, something even worse."

"What is it?" Laura asked as Strife was frozen in shock, or just had fun pretending.

"I forgot the honey!"

She groaned half laughing as he put the tray down beside her.

"I am terribly sorry, this is a great mistake on my part, no exquisite and fresh breakfast meal should be without a jar of honey. My apologizes, I had him directly in front of me when I put all the things together. I will immediately go and find the honey, even if I have to wrestle a bear with my bare arms."

She laughed behind him as he walked back into the small kitchen.

He found the honey immediately, that was not the problem. However the problem was the clicking noise that came from small side window.

The crow on the outside of the window hit with its beak on the glass to make itself noticeable.

"Oh, come on guys!" Strife cursed under his breath as he opened the window reluctantly.

The black bird hoped in and looked around, wisely ignoring the disapproving look of the Horseman.

"Don't tell me you brought them here." Strife warned him slightly annoyed but he already knew what the answer would be.

The bird cawed a couple of times and seemed to shake his wings like a human would shrug.

"Of course it is your fault, you could have lead them somewhere else man! And really? Fury is coming here?"

Strife thought for a second as the crow nodded slightly as an answer.

"Okay pretty boy, listen. I still have some things to smooth over here if I don't want to make an ass of myself like I usually do. I also still have some of these really tasty nuts you like so much. So... if you could help me out here for a moment..."

Even before he had finished his sentence Strife had Dusts full attention.

* * *

Fury groaned and looked at her watch. She had arrived by a block with several apartment buildings nearly ten minutes ago, but so far Dust had spent his time flying around, landing in front of multiple building just to change his position to the door of another building as soon as she was about to enter.

She already had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

As Fury was about to summon the small amount of magic she had ready to cast a spell that would at last find Strifes Aura he stepped out of the entrance of the building on the opposite street.

He jogged over to her side and sighed. "Good thing I saw you out of the window, wouldn't have known you are here otherwise."

"Yes, right. It's not like disabled your mobile-phone." Fury said sarcastic.

"With what did you bribe Dust anyway?"

Strife sighed again, this time honestly. Maybe War would have looked past Strife shenanigans in favor of focusing on the task at hand, but Fury was never too amused when she was part of them.

He took out a couple of peanuts and Dust landed on his forearm to pick them out of his hand.

"He isn't very greedy, he doesn't even want that much. Pretty modest if you ask me."

Fury rolled her eyes and stepped over to a used old red car.

"Dust can fly off and find Death and War again. We two are off to meet with Raphael."

"The Archangel? And pleas don't tell me that you are driving... or that this is our car."

"Yes to both." Fury replied, enjoying Strife's worried face as he took the place next to her.

"Is this thing even from this century?" he asked as the motor started with a noise that sounded like a death-rattle.

* * *

"So, why are going to meet Raphale again? Shouldn't War already have taken care of that?" Strife asked as he found a cigarette from the night before in the pocket of his coat and tried to light it with the lighter of the car.

He had only managed to reach for the lighter as Fury snatched the cigarette out of his mouth, wound down the car window and threw it out.

"Ey! That was the only one I had left." Strife protested half-heartedly as Fury wound the ancient Car window up again.

"I only rented this car this morning, and I plan to give it back without a scratch or infested by the ugly smell of human cigarettes. And Yes, War met the Archangel yesterday."

"So why go meet him now?" Strife asked as the car moved sharp around a corner.

Fury simply ignored the horn signal of the car she had risked driving into when she changed lanes.

"Raphael contacted us this morning, he has a brand new lead concerning the guy the charred council wants us to take down."

Strife was shaken around as Fury suddenly left her lane again and took an abrupt turn to the right.

"I think I just saw somebody jump out of the way." He commented as Fury didn't even slow down.

"Good for them." She said unconcerned.

"At this speed the cops are going to get us." He said as he held on to the doorframe while Fury waved in and out of traffic, miraculously avoiding any collisions.

"Only if they can catch us." Fury answered without looking away from the street even once.

Strife gulped, it was not like he was worried. He was a Horseman, he had experienced some crazy stuff on multiple occasions, driving an old car at full speed was not really an issues.

However he couldn't shake the feeling that Fury was provoking to crash them both.

"And I don't think this car is made for racing either." He tried again as they once more again broke the speed limit.

"Certainly not with an attitude like yours."

For a short moment they fell silent with only the horn signals of the other cars and the sound of their own car being heard.

"You are stealing my lines sis." Strife hissed under his breath as they slowed down in front of a traffic hold up.

The stopping took several seconds in which he was very thank full that he had put on his seat-belt.

"Why did nobody tell me that this would be a race?" he asked as he put himself back into his seat.

"Maybe if I had reached you without Dust delaying me we would have managed to leave at a reasonable time."

Fury said and looked out for movement in the traffic, only to give up nearly immediately with a groan.

"Why don't you just relax a bit and look outside? The humans are only a few days after… what do they call it? Christmas? They will even celebrate a new year in a few days."

Fury sighed and followed where Strife was pointing.

Two man in red costumes, one crooked and dirty the other in bright fresh red, where standing together at the entrance of a child toys shop and exchanged gifts.

For some reason Strife felt like he was missing an interesting story here and didn't even notice how Furys view noticed something completely different.

"I hope she took it well."

Strife turned around and raised an eyebrow in questioning confusion.

"You have a kiss mark on your neck." Fury explained.

"What do you think, how long will you remember her name, if you even remember it to begin with."

"Hey, no reason to be hostile sis, I am not responsible for your bad sleep."

"Maybe, if you had at last managed to get out of there in time we wouldn't have to hurry. Raphael is already delaying his own departure, the last thing we could do is be on time."  
"The woman's name is Laura, she is a nurse in a hospital around here and quiet a nice girl.

I know it is difficult to believe but spending the night together helped her as much as it did me." Strife said with a disarming smile.

Fury shrugged and ignored his smile, she knew him for far too long that his tricks would have worked on her.

"It's just that I can't shake the feeling that your liaisons are nothing more than a quick fix for you and a hollow experience for the woman that get dropped after a few days."

"Oh, come on sis! You know that that's not the case…" he tried to defend himself but was once again interrupted by Fury.

"It's not even like I dreamed several cases where your amours got you into trouble somehow. I can name at last three chases of them trying to backstab you or five where you put the mission at risk to help them in some way."

"And I can name at last ten where they helped me out with some crucial information concerning said missions. Or quiet a number of them where I knew that they wanted to trick me and either managed to convince them to do the opposite or outsmarted them myself."

"What about that lady that not only tricked you and stole a powerful artifact directly from under your bed, to say so, and the council wanted you to put an end to her?"

Strife blinked and grinded his teeth.

"No reason to hit under the belt sis. I had my reasons to let her go."

"You even defied the council when they tortured you. Even War didn't step down."

Strife nodded, he remembered it all too clearly.

The whole situation had been a mess. And after Strife refused the order to hunt the woman down even in the face of torture, they had ordered War to do it. Who had also refused.

They had also tortured him, furious in the face of the brother's insubordination.

"You can be happy to have such a loyal brother." Fury commented as Strife was left in thought for some seconds.

"He never even asked what all that was about." Strife said.

The Warrior had simply seen that his brother was ready to go through torture for somebody and had decided that if the person was that valuable to him, he would do the same.

Not that it mattered anyway, the Charred Council had simply hired a demon mercenary that had hunted down and killed her.

Strife pinched his nose and exhaled to get his thoughts back on track.

"I don't know what's your problem right now Fury, but that woman that I left back there was a good being and a fine soul. I know, I can be an ass sometimes, but I don't jump into bed with every woman that I come across for simple shits and giggles, and you know me long enough to know that.

So whatever is bothering you, please don't let it out on me. It's just not the right time right now."

Fury groaned at the still standing traffic and punched the wheel in frustration before she sank into her seat and reconsidered.

"Okay, look. It's pretty simple I had a nice evening yesterday and gave that up when I got the call that War was in police custody – longer story, don't ask – and I broke up my date with a actual nice human man that I hoped would not go that way.

But still all fine to me. But when I not only see that you just go and ignore Wars calls and take like forever to get into contact with, but also have one of your usual one night stands I can't help but feel a bit hostile towards the lazy ass of the family that lets everyone else do all the work."

Strife sighed, War and Death may have ignored his usual goofs but Fury couldn't help and face a problem head on. Usually she did so by ripping flesh from bones and whipping her way through hordes of enemy's.

"Well, I am sorry. I never would have thought you would take somebody to a date so soon. Really, had I known I might even have jumped in for you."

"Somehow, like usually, I don't know if I should believe you." Fury said skeptical.

"Well, then just don't." Strife answered with a shrug.

"But you got to admit, we all don't have it very easy with the other gender. We live forever; every connection we could build is doomed to fail. Even the beings that are immortal like us, they can be killed, and the council just resurrects us if we fail."

Fury nodded and shot a quick glance at the still standing traffic.

"I still don't see the point of having as many affairs as you do, and I probably never will."

"Like I always say, you and the other two have more of an angelic connection to it then I do. Not that mine is somewhat demonic thought."

Fury looked at him with a bit of irritation in her eyes.

"Well, your relationships are mostly platonic, mostly last for some years and barely include any bed stories. Together with the fact that you only have them every other century, it reminds me of how angels handle their relationships."

"Thanks for the analyses bro." Fury quipped at him.

"And what about War and Death? Any smart study's about them?"

Strife shrugged.

"Both offered their own bloody hearts to old gods for power and never since looked back?" Fury laughed at the farfetched idea and shook her head.

"No really, do you remember the last time War was in something that could be called a relationship? As long as you give the guy something to kill he seems to be perfectly content with himself."

"I think I remember one time." Fury said slowly as she was trying to remember the details.

"He and I talked shortly about the Trojan War yesterday. The Amazon Queen that was killed by the great human Warrior, what was her name? … Penthesilea. I think they were pretty close before the War."

"That was more than three thousand years ago, and in that war they were on opposite sides." Strife pointed out.

"Maybe that was the reason why she only appeared late in the war and in time of great need. Kind of strange how she died to Achilles blade."

"Knowing War he may have even thought it was a good death, with falling to one of the greatest Warriors in Human History and stuff."

"I am sure it was a bit more conflicting for him than he let on." Fury said softly.

"Well, as I said, they die sooner then we think." Strife said abruptly.

"But it is exactly what I meant, the last time he had anything close was some three thousand years ago. Even for us that amount of time is not exactly small. And no wonder he would have something for an Amazon queen. Though girls that can hold their own and stand by their convictions, honor, fighting skills, he always admired that."

"What about Death." Fury asked as the traffic in front of them slowly began to move again.

"Ever since the last of our Nephelim brethren fell I have never noticed him having even the slightest interest in the feminine gender. He has some rare friends on both sides of the gender, and some might be pretty close – I don't know, he never tells us anyway – but the only one he seemed to be close with before our brethren fell died with her back then."

Strife shrugged and stopped talking for a moment.

"Remembering that part of our past never brings up very happy memories." He noted to himself as the traffic finally moved in full again.

"Well, we are still not on time. Did you buckle your seatbelt?" Fury asked and shifted gears.

"…Yes?"

"Hold on to your butt then."

Strife's curse was cut short as Fury passed through a gap in the traffic and managed to cross the intersection before the traffic light switched to red again.

"Don't smoke, she said… I want to bring this care home in one piece, she said…" Strife told himself as Fury increased the speed even further.

As they took the next turn Strife was like he had heard police sirens behind him. But he quickly dismissed his hearing, if there had been any it was already growing silent.

* * *

War overlooked the crowd of visitors, guests and hospital staff as he waited for Deaths return. Once or twice someone in the crowd shot him a quick glance as even thought the imposing giant of a man with albino white hair was standing at the side of the atrium he still managed to take up a big chunk of the space.

Most humans avoided to get to close to him without even fully understanding why.

Death had no difficulty reaching him as he returned from the main information desk.

"No chance of getting any information on where they put the thug we are searching for. They keep everything under wraps, and asking questions will only get them more suspicious. We can be happy to even know where to search for him."

War looked around and noticed the elevators and large hallways.

"At last this place doesn't seem to be as big as a hospital of haven." Death followed his view and also noticed the lifts. Here on Earth they only had up and down, in heaven they would also have had sideways to cover the massive ground of their hospitals.

"We should look out for some kind of guard, they're probably keeping our target under close watch."

"It is still a hug complex here." Death noted.

"Then we should better get started." War said and walked of, Death followed close behind him.

* * *

Note: I have finally time to write again, don't know if it worked out as I wanted it to, but waiting even longer to release something seemed kind of cruel to me so I am just throwing this out there. I am expecting to give this at last three more chapters or more before it is finished and hope to bring it to an end before the New Year. No promises, but I am trying.

Reviews are much appreciated, criticism, questions, everything.


	8. Human Technology?

Death walked through the hallway of the hospital with care.

He had split up with War to cover more ground of the still fairly big hospital.

Unlike humans he could sense the many lives and deaths that the walls of the building had seen. Even now he could feel which soul around him would take their last breath in this halls and which one would once again breathe fresh air and life with it.

If a mere human could have felt what he did he surely would have went insane.

But the Nephilim had sentenced so many people to die and witnessed the death of entire civilizations in his millennium's of life that this was as bothersome as light rain to him.

And Inconvenience sometimes, but still necessary for the balance of life.

But what was drawing him to this hallway wasn't a human aura to begin with.

He could sense the pure white aura through the walls of the building, the flickering human aura that was holding on to life itself close beside it.

Death waited until a pair of nurses entered a nearby room before he walked through the door to the not human aura he had been closing in on.

The clean white room had nothing in it but two beds and a small human figure.

A human would have thought that the boy was simply sleeping, but even one of his brothers could have told from his aura alone that he was in a bad condition.

Even thought he could not see the owner he felt how the white aura in the room changed. From a deeply sad flickering to a signaling light, surly its owner had recognized another none human.

He stepped forward and touched the boy's forehead. A wave of memories crashed against him as he called his wavering soul forward.

The boy had played on the streets, some friends around him, he was showing of his new skateboard, then suddenly a scream and then a collision. A car? Most likely.

Death stepped back and took a moment before he decided.

With a slight gesture and a small effort of his magic Death managed to gaze into the shadow realm and as the orange gleam spread over the room he could finally see the angel that was sitting beside the small humans bed.

"I didn't think I would ever meet a Horseman, much less Death himself." The Guardian Angel was no Soldier, wearing only the uniformly white cloth of his caste. Even his mechanical wings were lacking, sitting in the corner of the room, a testament of how long he had held out by the boy's side.

"Everyone meets Death in the end. I am just a different face." The Horseman said while narrowing his eyes.

He knew what the Angel would ask of him, and he already didn't like it.

"What brings a Horseman to this part of creation? I assume you are here on order of the charred council?"

"True. On a mission you have no business with. That is, if you have somehow heard about a criminal under police custody arriving in this hospital, the council would certainly welcome your cooperativeness." He made sure to only mention the councils responsibility, not his own. Seeing that the angels concern and fear was a bright as day.

"I might have heard of something from the nurses that had nightshift yesterday."

The Angel looked at the silently sleeping boy that was clinging on to life as he spoke and contemplated his options.

"Let me guess, you want me to save this little human life in return for information." Death said bluntly, not hiding the disdain in his voice in the slightest.

"I don't want to be an inconvenience to you or your mission my lord, but you would take a massive weight from my heart if you would help me. I am unable to do anything about his condition myself, but you are able to walk freely in the realm of the mortals."

Death nodded, he knew about the struggles of guardian angels. Once there had been many on earth, protecting humans from the danger of demonic spirits and other agents of hell in a battle for their souls. But when the Charred Council had enacted a ban on most kinds of magic and interference from outside sources on the human realm after the age of gods, the number of both, the guardian angels and demonic spirits had dropped.

For some reason Heaven had decided to concentrate most of their dwindling host on earth on the youngest human children. And even thought guardian angels had the power to draw attention to the most fun and happy things in a little child's environment, he had heard stories about the guardian angels eternal struggle.

He could only imagine how frustrating it must be to never be able to actually intervene, even if a danger was oblivious to you but not for the one you where protecting.

And that was before one took into consideration that some children grew up in a place where finding either happiness or fun was like finding water in the desert.

But despite understanding the angels misery Death remained as cold as he was before.

"I will see what I can do. Tell me what you know first."

"I heard two nurses talking about a criminal in the southern part of the hospital under permanent watch by at last one police officer. They say he got a concussion and it will be some time before he wakes up. And the part he is in is only accessible by means of a security card."

"I will get there, don't worry." Death said and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

The Angels voice was not demanding or accusing, simply pleading.

"What? The boy is dying, it is human nature. I am Death, not Life.

The only thing I can do is end his suffering." Death clarified harshly.

"You can interact with this realm. You could simply push that red button over there and call for help."

Death scoffed, with a quick gesture and a release of magic the room returned to its original colors.

As he left the room the white aura behind him was returning to fearing flickering.

Only fifteen minutes later Death had finally managed to acquire a simple white coat from a cupboard

And shortly after he walked away from a male nurse who had reacted positively when he had told him that his check up in room seventy-eight had indicated that inner bleedings where very likely but that he had another emergency on his way and that somebody else should take care of room seventy-eight.

As Death was on his way to the southern part of the hospital and saw the nurse running away he relaxed again.

If he had simply pushed that red button the humans might not even have known what was wrong with the boy to begin with.

He took out his mobile phone and called War. Maybe he was already closer to the destination than he thought.

* * *

„And you are sure Raphael wanted to meet us here?" Strife asked as he took another sip from his drink while he looked around the restaurant.

People were walking by and he could see the traffic outside through the glass front.

The inside of the restaurant was quiet modern, which Strife took as a sure sign that the Archangel didn't care much for it and had chosen the meeting haste fully.

Or, since he knew Raphael well enough, there was a second gain the Angel wanted to achieve that just wasn't clear to him jet.

"He gave me the address. I even wrote it down and looked it up on the humans strange technical thingy's." Fury sighed as she looked onto the menu in her hand, more out of boredom than actual interest.

Strife nodded to the group of girls on the other side of the room that was busy looking at their mobile phones and laughing at jet another funny comment they found on them and shared with each other.

"You mean you used the internet." He added.

"Yea, whatever they call it now. Their substitute for some basic forms of magic, like long distant messages and where they store large parts of their information." Fury shook her head at the giggling girls on the other table.

"Shouldn't they be learning or at last working out? They are thin as sticks."

Strife only shrugged.

"Heaven and Hell could manage to build something similar to the internet if their cultures where actually compatible with such an idea to begin with." he said.

Fury raised an eyebrow in question while Strife continued.

"Like Hell's Lords would want it to be easy to spread information or like the Demons would enjoy something other than maiming, killing and the like. Heaven would probably see it as a distraction, seeing how they are fully able to make fantastic movies but their love for theater, concerts and the like is still bigger on its own."

"Well, they and some of the other more power full realms pretty much have the same level of information technology, just based on magic and all its advantages instead of crude electricity." Fury pointed out.

"I think we are talking about different kinds of internet here, you mean simply the information and the like, I am more talking about social networks and things to waste your time with."

"Social networks?" Fury asked with yet another raised eyebrow and Strife sighed.

"Hey, you are the one that is always up to date with human inventions and the like. You are usually here every second year, and you even have a collection of albums form that band with that really strange hair."

"Yes, the Beatles. And there are definitely stranger hairstyles out there then a mob. But anyways, I mean neither of the two would take kindly to the idea of wasting time like the humans do. I knew a human that managed to look stuff up on said internet all day, and be annoyed at how he had yet again managed to do nothing of substance the entire day…"

Fury scoffed. "What's the saying again? Humans are as brilliant as they are lazy." This took Strife's train of thought in a whole different direction

"Well, I just realized how we could make brimstone and fluffy clouds the net tasteful."

"Make it a part of a propaganda machinery?"

"Some would say that it is something like that already. But keeping the obvious at the sideline, I thought Heaven would totally enjoy posting cute cat and dog pictures. You know, even our friend Raphael here agrees with the whole "small deeds" thing."

"What about Hell, are they going to give negative reviews on perfectly fine products or something more sinister?" Fury asked amused.

"Well, they would probably excel at trolling humans… Basically annoying someone to no end just for fun" he added the last sentence as he saw Fury's confused look when he mentioned trolling.

"Something you should be very familiar with on your own Horseman."

Strife hadn't even noticed how a man in simple brown business suite had approached the table from his back but Fury gave the Angel in Human disguise a small node.

"I am sorry for my late arrival but I was delayed, important angelic matters and all that, surely you understand."

Raphael said as he sat down.

"We were wondering when you might show up." Strife noted as he made space for the Archangel.

"We were just talking about human inventions and technologies and why neither Haven nor Hell haven't caught on yet." Fury said with challenging smile.

"And what kind of inventions would that be?" the Angel asked with a raised eyebrow.

Both Horseman nodded in the direction where the group of girls was in a fit of laughter from yet another comment they had found.

"Ah yes, the internet. I understand." the Raphael said with a slight smile.

"Theoretically they have vast knowledge from all over the world at their fingertips, but decide to spend their time with cat pictures and more questionable content all while they could do something of substance."

"Let me guess, you are not a fan?" Strife asked amused.

"I would be dumb not to see its potential. But it is pretty much the answer to why neither of the current great powers in creation have much use for it, at last in the same state as the humans use it.

Even thought we have our own magitek that far surpasses the technologies of humans, we still don't see the point of introducing something like the internet to our society. We have similar things, but they are far from the amount of what humans invest into it."

Raphael sighted and collected his thoughts for a moment.

"I can best describe it like this: Angels will still write letters to send if they can, or directly contact their partner telepathically if they want to talk. It is the reasonable thing to do, both amounts to some kind work and care.

One argument against the human internet is that it makes people thoughtless about the problems and pain of others.

A part of text is written fast in only some minutes and one is mostly is save from

repercussions or doesn't even know or care what his actions or words might have caused.

And we both know that even words alone can topple kingdoms and bring doom to whole worlds."

Raphael looked at Strife and the Horseman scratched his cheek as he played to be embarrassed.

"I never got halve a dozen demons to slaughter themselves by convincing them that always another one had stolen their weapons. I also had nothing to do with the part where that one guard got drunk and let..."

"Of course not. You had also nothing to do with the onetime where a ancient artifact that I was supposed to recover got lost because every guard wing was convinced that the other wing was on duty."

"That one from that dessert world? Sold it to Vulgrim." Strife blurted with a dismissing hand wave.

Raphael only shook his head slightly with disappointment.

"Anyway, back to the question at hand. We Angels just prefer honest and direct conversation to anything else. Same can be said about Devils and Demons. You only have to switch conversation with confrontation. Demons want to be able to punch the one they are talking to if necessary, sending treats or insults by letter or second hand is looked down upon in their culture.

If one would introduce the internet to hell there would be a whole new industry tasked with finding the addresses of all the lower demons that insulted Arch-demons, Lords or Warlocks over it.

Even if the Prince of Lies likes to claim that it is only Hell that has Freedom at its core, it is still the Freedom of the powerful and ruthless.

Actually, if I think about it, that plan might be a good way to cause yet another infighting that hell is so well known for."

The cunning grin on the Angels face still managed to look mostly friendly to Fury, which made it all the more strange.

"Also, if the human rumor that large parts of the web is full of naked lady's heaven wouldn't have any use for it and even hell, for better or worse, was always more into physicality."

"Naked ladies, really?" Fury asked unimpressed.

"Well, I like to think the amount of bad jokes and crazy videos is higher." Strife noted which only caused Fury to raise an eyebrow, obviously in worry of her brother's sanity.

"Granted, you have to wade through a lot of bad stuff before finding something good, but some of that shit is freaking hilarious. Really, there was this one part where a dog was given..."

"So, even hell wouldn't like naked ladies from the web?" Fury interrupted to change the subject to literally anything else.

"If the next Succubus is never far away and since demons are mostly creatures of Lust that, just like the example before, prefer the real thing. I don't think they would even care about pictures and videos form the web. Then again that place can also be pretty dark."

Fury was about to point out that nothing could be worse than some of the darkest places of hell, but knew that the comparison was just not the same.

"Hey now! You guys make it sound like the web is full of shit." Strife intervened hastily.

"Not that it isn't, mind you. But it actually has some good sides."

"And that would be?" Fury asked with actual interest.

Strife avoided her by looking out of the window and inspecting the ceiling.

Fury smirked, he was pretty good at playing flustered badly.

"Can't tell you. I spent half a day once smiling and laughing at some stuff that nearly gave me toothache from all the sweetness. I already lost my man-card, I would like to keep at last a part of my reputation."

Raphael and Fury looked at the Horseman that was known in creation for setting people on fire that got on his nerves and words that none ever knew if they where misdirection's, blatant lies or even worse, the truth.

Not only was it out of the question to set the two on fire, Strife also knew that they were some of the few souls in creation to be at last partly able to separate his lies and truths.

It was not like he was actually worried about his reputation, the fact that only few in creation knew what to make of him and said reputation was why he was, even after all this time, able surprise his enemy's and allies alike.

Playing the part of being needlessly flustered he jumped straight to the next topic that came to his mind.

"So why wouldn't Heaven like some naked ladies from the web?"

"Like you don't already know." Fury remarked playfully but Raphale ignored her and answered the question anyway.

"Demons are creatures of Lust, we Angels are beings of Love. Anyone wise enough will realize that neither one is a source of pure evil nor pure goodness.

I have seen Demons capable of love in their own way. And I know that a few Angles that fell in Love with each other might feel a bit of Lust.

But it is love we care for. We don't care about lust or sex without love enough to even care about naked bodies on the web. After all what is love without laughter, closeness and intimacy?"

Strife scratched his chin, thinking about it all before answering.

"You know, for the most part I like me some naked ladies. But I think even I agree with your last part here."

Fury shot him a doubtful look that was only answered with a smirking shrug.

"Funnily enough, on our way here Strife also pointed out that he thought my relationships are more angelic than anything else, I am not so sure about that."

Fury said teasingly, more towards Strife then Raphael.

The Archangel noticed it but answer honestly none the less.

"Do you fall in love with one person and devote yourself to them just as they do? Do you do your best to stay with that person for your entire life if possible?"

Fury raised one eyebrow in amusement.

"Well, no. One could say I am too busy for any of that and tend to outlive most possible candidates by a large margin. And that's even before the question if I would like such a life to begin with."

"Most Angels love their partner for a lifetime once they devoted themselves to each other. We life eternal until we either get killed or even decide ourselves to go when millennia's have passed and our relationships last as long as we life. The case of dying from broken heart is well known, several of our relationships are so close and intimate that losing your other half is so devastating that some decide to follow their partner to the afterword. Something that is always seen as doubt full but in many cases even understood and accepted."

"Throwing away your life because somebody else died? Sounds at last like a great waste of resources, namely yourself, but it mostly sounds outright stupid." Strife commented nonchalantly.

"That's because we all love differently, don't we?" Raphael said.

"That's why I said 'it sounds like' I might have enough brain cells to understand your people's point of view, but from my point it's just doesn't make that much sense."

"One can definitely say that you are wrong about me 'being more angelic' in the relationship department thought." Fury intervened.

"Not necessarily." Raphael pointed out. "He only suggested that you might be more a being of love."

Fury scoffed. "You know, I like my fair amount of Lust too."

Strife leaned over to Raphael and 'whispered' in his ear loud enough that Fury could hear it anyway.

"Difficult to find somebody with more blood lust once she gets going man."

Fury allowed herself a pleasant smile until she noticed how the Angel decided to press the issues.

"Nevertheless, it doesn't mean that your brother is wrong..."

"Speaking about my lousy brother, I think I know why his angelic girlfriends are so few."Fury interrupted hastily and shot her brother a teasing smile, which was answered by perfectly played bafflement.

"Hey! In my defense, the ones I actually get along with are pretty nice. Even thought basically none let me get past a platonic encounter, they have their very own brand of lovable."

Fury rolled her eyes at his smooth talking and nearly missed when a man walked through the door of the restaurant and past them.

Raphael only looked up for a few seconds, but Strife knew the look on his face and put the pieces together.

"Just as I thought, we are here for a reason."

Fury squinted here eyes as both men shot a quick look at a table two rows behind them.

"The two man in business clothing? What's with them?" she asked.

"Oh, the bald guy is new, just came in a moment ago. And Raphael here gave him a look that I know all to well." Strife explained.

"Yes, no point in hiding it anymore. I chose this location for a reason."

"I should have made a wager, I would have won." Strife sighed.

"What's with the two?" Fury asked and was about to point discretely at them as Raphael shook his head slightly.

"The man with glasses is the boss of a once power full crime syndicate. The other man, the bald one that just came in with the briefcase, is one of his subordinates. One of my men is now only a few tables away from them. He was a vital asset in this whole operation. But I would be glad if you two would help me out to avoid him or anyone else getting shot once this starts."

"Can we get some details on this?" Fury asked with a slight hiss, Strife knew all to well that she didn't like it to get dragged into anyone's schemes, especially without warning and so sudden.

"Two weeks ago the boss of this syndicate killed his best friend with his bare hands and threw his own badly beaten wife in front of a oncoming train because he thought that they were having a affair behind his back. He also drove over his hard drug dealing son by accident. The first was a care full planed lie, the second not an accident at all.

Granted, we needed more than just a few words. But the internet, for example, actually helped me and my accomplice to fake some information regarding text massages and the like.

Now, the briefcase has all the information he needs to see what has happened was no accident, easily accessible and understandably as photographs.

It will also show him that his best friend and right hand man was actually gay and hide it from him, making the connection we let him see with his wife even more unlikely. Also that the bald man who took the briefcase from the place we arranged is in some of the first photos that make it clear that he was the one that sold knowledge about some of his operations to the law enforcement.

I studied his behavior we trust that his impulse will get the better of him and he will shoot him right here in open daylight. At which point my subordinate can take him out until the police arrives."

"Sounds like a little masterpiece of work here, seems like I couldn't have done it better. This is a strange day, first my sister steals my lines, now you move in and take my job."

Strife shook his head in disbelief while Fury's still looked suspicious.

"What did he do to deserve such a harsh punishment?" Even she had met enough demons to know that they weren't necessarily "evil" to the core, the same could be said about a human crime boss, to a degree.

"A Undercover Cop got his second son killed in a operation, wasn't even the man's fault. The Crime Boss ordered the Cops wife and daughter killed. The wife of the crime lord even enforced that many of his friends and allies were killed. The officer survived by chance and as punishment.

He is on the other side of the globe now, one of the groups he his living with is a undercover agent of mine and has a eye on him so that he doesn't go of the deep end.

If there is one thing I despise it is aiming at someones trough their loved ones."

"Sound like you are doing the same." Fury pointed out, she knew that Raphael could be a dangerous foe if provoked, but even for here this came sudden.

"That's why they call it Revenge."

"Yes, Hell does. I thought Heaven was supposed to ahead to Justice?"

"Yes, because we try to be a community, but some beings don't understand justice and sometimes the loose you took is so great that simple justice won't help you to close those wounds.

I am aware of the destructive nature of revenge, but I am also of the opinion that one should not simply dismiss the enemy's weapons on the sole basis that they were his.

And don't you Horseman know how to exact revenge without killing yourself? My brothers and sisters may question me, but so far I think that using our enemy's weapon and ways against him is the best way to beat him. Even thought it becomes more important to remain true to yourself and the light while doing so."

Fury squinted and was about to talk back as Strife interrupted them causally.

"Well, Raphael is doing this kind of stuff all the time, and you know it. He hasn't died and didn't even jump ship while at it. Also, Raphael, I don't think that my sister takes issues with revenge on itself. It's more like we have seen few angels do it, and most of the time it didn't end pretty-

But what I actually wanted to say was that they are opening the suitcase and..."

All while Strife was talking the crime bosses face went from almost calm to uncontrollable anger as he looked through the photos inside the suitcase.

It was like Raphael had hoped, the photographs left enough evidence that the crime boss knew that the affair had only been in his head, and that the man in-front of him had betrayed him.

The gun rang before Strife was done speaking.

As soon as the bald henchmen hit the ground everyone that was close to some way of escape ran for their life's while most of the guests restored to crawl under the tables or any cover they could find.

A baby started screaming as the murderer looked around with wild eyes.

The criminal aimed his weapon in the direction the sound came from as a shout ran through the restaurant. "Police! Put your weapon down!"

The man that was now aiming his own weapon at the crime boss while staying covered behind a massive table looked nothing like a cop but he was enough distraction to give Strife a chance and stand up.

"BFFs! Put you gun down!" Strife shouted, with a satisfied grin he noticed how his target was confused for halve a second as he turned his gun towards him.

Both pulled the trigger at nearly the exact time.

Or, closer to the truth, Strife pulled the trigger and the criminal had done so, if he had one.

While his target had concluded its turn to face him Strife had fired his gun and the bullet had shot of the trigger while completely avoiding the body and anyone else before it hit the wall besides a watercolor painting about hunting deer's.

In one smooth motion Fury got up and a whip flicked forward almost too fast for the humans in the restaurant.

As the whip returned she held the pistol in her hand, ejected the first bullet in the cartridge and then the magazine before putting all three on the table, directly in front of Raphael.

The Archangels accomplice ran forward and kicked the criminals legs until he sank on the ground while Strife kept one of his guns aimed at him.

Raphael stood up slowly, nodded to his man who put cuffs on the criminal and left the restaurant.

Fury followed him just before the humans began to make a push for the door in haste while Strife stayed behind until the angel in human form hand the criminal completely subdued and taken a few steps back.

He answered the thankful node of the angel with one of his own and left as the man reached for a phone.

Strife stepped outside and jogged after the duo that was about to escape into a side street.

As he rounded the corner Raphael took a violin-case from a nearby shelve and turned to face them.

"Who are you going to cheat with that one?" he asked with a grin and the memory of how they once had made a small fortune with only a violin and some clever lies about its actual value.

Raphael had made sure that they would only con humans that were bad men and rich enough to begin with. Expect that one time when they had managed to con a mafia boss to such a degree that…

"It is actually a gift to someone." The Angel made clear and pulled Strife out of his thought.

"To whom?" Fury asked.

"Someone nearly on the other side of this world. That's also why I need to get going, if I don't want miss my flight." he smiled warily, a Archangel hat needed to use a plane because he couldn't use his wings nor magic.

A siren sounded from the main street and after a short time a car with flashing blue light arrived in front of the restaurant with two police officers jumping out to run inside and another two that started to secure the area.

"They got here pretty fast." Strife noticed.

"The wonders of human technology." Raphael replied as he held his hand out and a car stopped in front of him shortly after, the disguised Angel from the restaurant at the wheel.

He opened the door but turned around once more.

"On the same note, I like to think that the humans will figure it out. They are neither like the total destructive creatures of hell, and neither like Angles of Heaven and bound by the same virtues as us.

They are something in between. Maybe that is why they are so crucial to the balance.

I hope they figure things out, and that they decide to be just a bit more good than bad.

But then again, I am an angel, I might be a bit biased on that thought."

Raphael said and put the violin-case on the backseat of the old car.

"Hey, before you fly off, could you do us the favor and give us the info about our target we were told you had?" Strife wanted to know while putting a new pullet in his gun.

"Of course, I never forgot about that part." he said, pulled out a folded map of the town they were in and gave it to Strife.

"You will find a new connection at the spot that is marked on the map. But you better get some goods to pay with if you want that information."

"I wish you the best of luck on your hunt. May things always go in your favor."

With that he stepped into the car and shortly after Fury watched as it disappeared in the distance.

"Oh, that's going to be fun." She turned around to see what Strife found so interesting and saw him looking at the map.

"What is it?"

"Nothing important really."

Fury looked over his shoulder.

"Really? That guy? 'Nothing important' really fits."

Despite that Fury groaned, this was going to be a long stop.

* * *

**Author Note:**

Well, finally got another part together. I actually wanted there to be another cut to Death and War with more action, but that just didn't work out. Somehow Raphael, Fury and Strife started talking and I didn't manage to stop them. It's a bit like when one has a good friend over and you start talking at about nine before midnight, want to finish at last at twelve and suddenly it is three after midnight and you are left wondering how that happened.

Still, it happened and maybe at last a few people will find it interesting.

Also, I would really like to see a angel character in a further Darksider that is using questionable methods/manipulations but is still one of the good guys since I think it would make for an interesting character.

Just like mad doctors that shouldn't be only for the baddies side or similar.

Then again there is too much of what I would like in a further Darksiders to write in more than a few sentences.

Also, either my spell check is a troll or this is unreadable, for which I would be sorry.

Anyway, hope you like it.


	9. Old Customers

War waited until the next staff member opened the door with his security code and, with a massive white box in his hands, walked right into the secured area right after the man.

The human looked at him in confusion, but the way War carried himself and his burden let it seem like he knew exactly were he was and that he had every right to be there.

For the human that was enough and the Horseman was pleased that the security was not tighter.

He advanced trough the corridors and made sure that this was the right part of the hospital that Death had told him about.

His brother still needed to catch up to him, but if he at last managed to find the guard that had been positioned by the room of the man they were searching for, they would have a much easier time.

Some of the humans he passed by gave the disguised Nephilim wary looks but War just walked on with the firmness of a man who belonged in his place and knew what his job was.

In their defence, it was a hospital and not a fortress, this place was used to cure the ill, checking everyone inside the hospital was in no way possible.

The Warrior didn't need long to find the place he was looking for.

He had been on the lookout for a single guard in front of a room, but he only found an empty chair in front of room that anyone else would have walked by.

But War noticed that the chair was put in a place that would have made it possible to cover most of the access points of the derelict corridor, just that it was positioned in a wrong way that made absolutely no sense.

If he would have wanted to hold guard he would have taken the exact same spot, just not with the chair turned the opposite direction.

He put down the package and stepped to the door beside said chair. Putting a hand on the door handle he could sense three human souls on the other side.

He might not be as good as reading and searching for the souls of the living as his siblings or even Death himself, but even he noticed that something was amiss.

As he tried to push the door open he could feel resistance, so without further ado he took a short step back and kicked the lock in.

Parts of the door flew inward as the lock broke and War stepped trough the remains of the wrecked doorway to face a shocked man that was about to use a pillow to suffocate the patient in the bed in front of him.

With a simple glance War found the police officer he had been searching for knocked unconscious and bleeding directly beside the door before focusing back at the would be murderer that was apparently trying to silence the man he and Death were searching for.

The human wasted no time and after he had overcome the initial shock of a giant man bursting trough the door he threw the pillow away and made a run for the balcony.

War threw a quick look at the unconscious man in the bed and determined that catching the would be murderer would give them a higher chance at valuable information about the demon that they had been ordered to hunt down.

The human bothered to close the glass door behind him as he stepped out to the balcony and jumped over to another.

Glass splintered as War simply sprinted trough said door and was immediately right on his tail.

But the human was agile and in form as he vaulted over two other balcony's before finding a already open door an ran inside again.

He vaulted over two beds and into the corridor while War was forced to go around them but was soon right behind him once more.

The human was fast, and in the small corridors War couldn't build up speed just as his size was hindering him when crossing corners, which the man used to his advantage.

It didn't help either that the man was calling for help and acting like he had a madman on his tail.

Not that many stepped up for him when they saw War coming towards them with speed.

Only a group of three men tried to stop both of them all together, only for the runner to escape and War crashing trough them like a bowling ball.

After that no one else made the mistake to stop them, and when they neared the exit the human managed to pass trough the massive security door just as another visitor walked trough.

The door fell heavy in it's lock as War stopped in front of it, and seeing as he had no valid security card, gripped the handle, and pulled.

At first the lock gave up, then the entire door as the Horseman pulled it out of its hinges.

On the other side the human he was hunting made big eyes and what had been a fast jog turned into a straight run to the elevators.

War simply let the door fall and started chasing after him once again while the people in the hallway stepped cautiously to the side.

He knew that the human would reach the elevators before he would and considered taking the stairs, but decided against the risk of loosing him on one of the other floors.

Instead he reached the elevator just after the man had jumped onto a already taken ride and had franticly pushed the button downward to escape so that the doors closed only a few seconds before War could get there.

But the Rider simply pushed his fingers between the small gap in the main doors and after he had gotten a good hold forced the doors open.

He could hear whispers and gasps behind him as he looked after the elevator that had stopped some levels downwards, and the gasps turned into shock as War simply jumped down the shaft after it.

The roof of the elevator caved slightly and War noticed slight pain in his human body's weak legs, but that didn't stop him from ripping the emergency shaft open and jumping inside.

The humans made space in a moment of surprises but the rider was soon out of the door as he saw his target running down the corridor and towards the main exit.

With the crowd growing ticker War had slight problems keeping his eyes on the man, but the human didn't even think to hide, all his senses told him to make a run straight for the exit.

Once again the human managed to get trough the two main slide doors just as they were opening for yet another visitor, completely avoiding any small delay or slowing down.

For some reasons humans had at one point decided that glass and windows were a sign of modernity and advancement, War only saw it as a giant structural weakens as he crashed trough glass and what could be considered the front wall of the atrium, landing on the green front lawn of the hospital.

The human still had a head start on him as he jumped to the motorcycle parked by the side of the building and tried to turn it on.

Once again War was almost there, but once again luck favoured his enemy as the motor of the machine started just as he was nearly in jumping distance.

Soon his target got his bike on the road, but War was nearly in full run while his machine was still gaining momentum.

Wars boots were hitting the asphalt with tremendous speed and once again it looked like he would be able to finally catch the human as War was gaining ground, only for the human to drive to the other side of the street and into the oncoming traffic.

He would have managed to shake of War right then and there when the Horseman was forced to slow down and change direction quickly so that a car had to brake harshly as he was running in front of it.

War simply jumped up with the right foot onto the bonnet and of to landed with the left to the side on the street again, accelerating as soon as his boots hit the ground.

The motorbike was gaining momentum and War stretched out his hand only to remember that he wasn't allowed nor capable to call upon Ruin.

After all the Charred Council was expecting them to be "covert" about their dealings on earth, and forcing them to intervene and send their Watchers to cover up the story and memory's of a giant burning horse in the middle of the streets of a crowded human city would be something they would not like to be bothered with.

So War was forced to keep on the would be murderers tail as best as he could, which, considering the speed they were going at, he was doing quiet well.

That was until the human started two reckless manoeuvrers in a row by driving a second time into the oncoming traffic.

War managed to avoid being hit by the first car, but when he made a sharp turn to follow his target he saw the bus coming and knew that it was unlikely he would make it in the short seconds he had to decide.

He tried to run after him anyway, but was soon reminded that he was still trapped inside a human body that just didn't move as fast as he was used to.

The front of the bus crashed into him as its driver made a full brake while trying to not lose control.

War noticed the pain in his shoulder as he was thrown forward and brought himself into a roll so that he managed to avoid the wheels of the advancing bus just long enough to jump up and out of the way, faster then any human would have thought possible.

As the traffic started to stop around them War could see the human on his motorbike in the distance, gaining speed and escaping into a smaller side street.

He stood up and considered going after him, hoping to find some sort of trace, but decided against it as the bus driver got out of his vehicle and stared at him.

Only now did he notice that his left leg was partly missing huge swats of skin and that he had trouble moving his left arm.

"I am sorry Sir, do you need a doctor? The hospital is right around the corner..." the bus driver didn't even seem to think about blaming War for the accident too stunned at the man in front of him making it out of the accident in one piece.

The Horseman moved his leg to make sure that nothing was broken and then used his intact arm to relocated his other arm back into its socket with a audible cracking sound.

The human only looked at him in astonishment as War moved his arm again and gave his open wounds a brief look.

"I will do fine."

* * *

Death knew that something was wrong when he had entered trough the ripped out security door. War might be the man for a direct approach, but he knew when subtlety was the preferable solution, and he certainly wouldn't have drawn so much attention to himself without reason for it.

That was why Death moved fast and precise to get to the centre of the issues, disregarding the few suspicious looks he got and finding the room with the kicked in door soon after.

He didn't know what had happened, but going by how half a dozen nurses were walking in and out of the room, caring for the unconscious patient and the reviving police officer while assessing the damage it had been quiet a shock to them.

None dared to stop him as he walked in and stopped by the bedside of the patient.

Unconscious from Wars attack the night before, as he had been told. And from how he looked he wouldn't be awake for quiet a while, which made it all the more difficult to ask him about his master.

One of the nurses eyed Death up uncertainly, but he was wearing the white cloth of a doctor and a fitting name shield, coupled with how he carried himself she didn't worry for to long.

Apparently the size of the Hospital meant that it was impossible for the staff to remember all the new faces.

Death didn't mind and took his chance. The Horseman simply put a hand on the patients shoulder and whispered a few words.

He could feel his soul reaching out of his body and into the one of the thug on the bed in front of him.

The room and the nurses began to fade into dust and soon he was walking the corridors of a mind with many doors. Some closed, some shut, but all emitting their own shout and whispers.

Normally other creatures of creation would have unsuccessfully tried to protect themselves from his invasion of their mind and soul. Or they would have tried to go into hiding deep inside their thoughts, were it was difficult up until almost impossible to search for them without risking to go insane, even for Death.

After all a mind was terrible thing to tamper with and their souls could get frighteningly defensive with very drastic measures if pushed.

But not only didn't humans have no magical form of defence, most of them weren't even aware of the possible dangers.

Which was probably why the scenery of a long hallway with wooden doors changed to a high Gothic cathedral.

The subconscious of the man must have noticed him and felt the aura of the newcomer, changing the scenery to one he deemed more fitting as Death could see a figure approaching in the distance.

Faster then possible in the material world a human figure crossed the distance to him with worry, not knowing who he was but feeling his power and what surrounded him.

"Who are you?" the soul of the thug asked uncertainly as the Horseman looked around and noticed how the surroundings got colder and snow was falling from above despite the gigantic roof.

The human probably thought he was dreaming, and in a way he was right. It was just that dreams sometimes could be more real than humans generally thought.

"My name is of no matter, you will hear it again soon enough. What matters is that you have information, and that is something I want."

The thug scratched his head at the exact same spot he had been bandaged in the real world and still had confusion written on his face.

"I still don't understand, why can't I know who you are?" he asked weakly and visibly lacking in concentration.

Death sighed and moved a hand.

Without as much as a warning sign a giant Harvester came crashing trough one of the glass stained windows, missed the human by a few meters and cut one of the many columns on the side into rubble before dissolving into purple dust.

"I can tear this place apart, bit by bit and you along with it. I have no time for your questions or your stupidity." Death threatened with a deadly glare.

The humans eyes were wide in shock, his knees were shacking and it looked like he would turn and run, but he saw the certainty in the strangers eyes and was sure that he would not succeed.

"Now tell me, who are you working for?"

The human gulped and began to talk.

When one of the Nurses touched the Horseman after what seemed to her like only three minutes since he was standing beside the patients bed he had already pressed as much information out of him as he could.

It was not like time within someone's mind was the same as in the material world to begin with.

"Doctor, the police is on its way, they want to know if the patient is alright."

The nurse explained and Death bothered to give the thug on the bed one last look.

"He seems fine to me. Nothing to worry about." He answered shortly and made his way past the woman and trough the door without looking back or noticing that the police officer that was holding a cooling pack to his head was eyeing him suspiciously.

When blue lights reflected from the walls Death had already made it outside and found War waiting behind a parking car.

He looked his brother up and down as he began walking faster, wanting to decrease he distance between the police and himself even further to avoid being taken in for questioning once again.

"Someone tried to kill this man when I got there. I assume he was sent by the same person that we were called upon to hunt down. He managed to evade me a few times and I finally lost him on the streets. One of the human cars got in my way, that is why I look a bit worse to wear."

War reported without Death even needing to ask why he was bleeding.

"I found the human thug and used a form of telepathy to talk with him since he was still unconscious. I know now were we need to go and that our enemy is prepared, but what he is planning even the human couldn't tell me."

Death informed to get his brother on the same page as he was.

"It is good then that Strife and Fury called a few minutes ago. They told me were they want to meet us and that they have another lead to the demon we are searching for."

War added on.

"Were do they want to meet us?" Death asked as he walked to the Jeep they had rented.

War told him and his brother sighed.

"He always finds a way to cross our path every other time, doesn't he?" Death remarked as he opened the door and got on the driver seat.

* * *

"... and that is probably why Angles revere to it as things like, a night of passion, spending the night together or making love. All while demons go and call it plowing, fucking and..."

"I know how 'creative' demons can be in that regard Strife, you don't need to remind me." Fury stated as she moved the car into what seemed to be counting as parking space at the side of the street.

"All I wanted to say was that once again it is important what kind of words one chooses. Of course somebody else would say that they are only names, but they alone can have an impact on everything around you.

Which brings me to the point why that saying exits."

Fury took out the keys and was about to open the door but stopped and turned around.

"And that saying was what again?"

"In Hell they fuck, on Earth they have sex, and in Heaven? Up there they make love."

"You seem to have too much fun with that thematic." Fury quipped and stepped outside the car.

Strife shrugged and shook his head before he stepped outside as well.

"I was only trying to point out that best way, for humans at last, is a way in-between. A balance in a way. A balance isn't necessarily fifty/fifty as long as both parts are present enough to have a equilibrium.

And in the end that is what we horseman should want right? A balance."

"Still a strange example you used for this." Fury noticed as she closed the car and took the lead.

"Why? It is showing of why neither Heaven nor Hell are going to achieve true balance and why it is said that the humans might play a big part in all of this, like Raphael said it could be."

Strife defend his stance while he followed Fury into a side street until she stopped in front of a small shop that was selling a strange mixture of used kitchen utensils and old comic books.

"I doubt our old friend bothers to care about things like that thought." Fury said.

"Nice shop he got here, not as suspicious as the one he got in the east."

Strife noticed while Fury only sighed and stretched her arms.

"Let's hope he is even here at the moment. I don't want to wait here for him for a few hours. We will either get done here sooner then last time or I am going to personally burn his shop down."

Strife only nodded shortly as a doorbell rang and his sister stepped inside.

The room they entered was small and crammed full with shelves and cardboard boxes, both either filled with sometimes ancient comic books or a multitude of electronic devices.

"Looks like someone doesn't know what he wants to sell." Strife commented and immediately stepped over to one of the shelves to look trough the titles of the comics while Fury walked directly towards the store counter in the middle of the room that was unoccupied at the moment.

Without a moment to waste Fury pushed the small bell on said counter and after only a few seconds of waiting started wailing on it in a mixture of annoyance and boredom.

Strife sighed at the constant sound but knew better than to interrupt his sister while he could search for older comic titles instead.

Nearly a full minute went by until a young human came out of one of the few back-doors and looked at them in in surprise that changed to worry when he saw Fury scowling at him impatiently.

The poor boy didn't seem to be used to having that many customers to begin with, and having Fury right in front of him didn't seem to do him any better.

Strife almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"What... How can I help you?" the man asked as he put the comic book in his hands on the counter and moved closer, putting his hands into his pockets while doing so like he was trying to protect them.

"You can help us if you get your ass moving and bring us your boss." Fury said in a tone that was dangerously close to a threat.

The human gulped as she leaned on the counter and priced him with her eyes all while Strife hummed a song and took another issue from the shelve.

"Don't worry pal, my sister is just a bit impatient when it comes to dealing with the ones she deems fools. Do you have a issue of 'The Hulk' somewhere around here?" Strife added on nonchalant.

The human only pointed at another shelve to the right while he tried to think how he could get of his own shop and away from the woman that managed to be frightening without even moving a finger.

"My boss is not here... he went away for a short while, but maybe if I would call him he..."

Furys eyes narrowed and Strife shook his head at the young man's poor choice of words before he decided to intervene.

"You are sure he is not in one of the small back rooms? You know, back were he his doing his real business." The human looked from the dangerous woman in front of him to the strange man behind her, trying to determine what kind of business they had with his boss.

"Don't worry, he is expecting us." Strife said, reading the humans thoughts from his face as easily as he could have read on of the comics in his hands. "What about 'Aquaman'? Do you have some of his story's too?" he added as he looked trough the collection in front of him, feigning indifference towards the humans troubles.

Once again the young man pointed at yet another shelve, seemingly at loose for words.

"We can do this one way, you go and search for your boss and get him here." Fury explained with a too friendly smile on her face.

"Or I go and kick the back door in and drag him out by myself."

"I don't even know if he is there, sometimes he just disappears and doesn't even show his face in months." the human explained fearfully of Furys response.

But the glare he received was enough to send him neraly running towards the back door and stepping inside, calling for his boss while doing so.

Strife put the batch of comics he had collected on the counter and sighed.

"Like the guy wasn't a nervous wreck already. You just had to put a fire under him... and they say I am the one who is a sadist." he took a jab at his sister, shaking his head in played disapproval.

"I thought I was actually pretty reasonable, can't just make a full turn when I already made a first impression. And it is not my fault that some humans are so fear full."

Fury defended her actions slightly annoyed at Strifes disapproval, but knowing well that he was only trying to bring her there.

A short moment later the human returned and signalled them to follow him.

After they made it past several small rooms they entered a small but longish room that was filled with gun loaded tables on both sides while the man they were looking for sat at the end of the room, writing in a small book and licking his lips.

The young human moved outside and closed the door behind him as soon as they had entered which peaked Strifes paranoia just a bit since the room would have made a excellent trap, which all the horseman were used to be expecting by now.

But Fury didn't let her instincts slow her down and immediately moved towards the person at the back of the room.

He was an old man here, seemingly unable to hurt a fly, hunched over and struggling to read with the small glasses on his nose.

But both Horseman knew that he was merely playing a a part, on one hand to fool his customers into thinking he was old and easy to fool, but Strife was certain that he also did it because he had just to much fun with it.

"Vulgrim, we need information. Now." Fury cut straight to the case and settled down on the table close beside him and taking away his book, forcing him to look at her.

The Demon looked from the mortal shell in front of him to the other one that was approaching him and who settled for the table on the opposite side.

"So the Charred Council really did give you all human body's? Interesting." the demon merchant mused, not bothering to hide a wide grin that didn't fit his current form in the slightest.

"It's not like it is that uncommon to begin with, it is just one of the few times we are actually all together on earth in human body's. With the humans getting all this new fancy technology and such it is getting more and more unreliable to use simple illusions or magic like back in the old times."

Vulgrim nodded and with a small gesture the part of the magic that was masquerading him as a human vanished, giving them the questionable sight of a old man with halve of his face being replaced by a much to large demonic grey face with one giant horn and a unsettling wide smile.

"We all know how ugly you are, no need to remind us." Strife noted before the demon reformed his illusion again.

"Some of us can't afford to conjure up a new body as soon as we feel like it. I am just a private merchant who manages to survive by selling his small goods to such powerful people like you."

"And the moment we don't need your goods Vulgrim, what we need is that information that Raphael mentioned." Fury cut in, trying to get the demons focus back on track.

"So it was one of Raphael's man that was basically beating down my door yesterday? At first I thought he would outright ignore my hint that I had some information for him, seeing how his brethren look down upon him for dealing with such honest souls like me." the demon recalled amused.

"Why didn't you give us a call back then?" Strife asked, earning a disapproving look from his sister for stretching out the conversation needlessly.

"I didn't know how to reach you! You horseman are basically undercover now, not even one of your usual contacts could tell me how to get to you. And dealing with the Charred Council is always such hassle. No, contacting the Archangel seemed like the best idea at the time."

"I hope that information you have was worth coming here then. If you only wanted to get us here to sell us yet another bunch of useless weapons and insignificant human toys..."

"They do have some good comics thought." Strife interrupted his sisters treat without bating an eye and nodded at her with a smile to continue when she shot him a glare.

"... someone is going to beat down more then just your door."

The old man's face was a strange mixture of grinning and hidden fear.

Strife could only hand it to Fury, her treat might have been weak, and definitely not original, but her voice and tone alone made clear that she wasn't playing around.

He fact that everyone in creation knew one one level or another what she was capable of didn't hurt things either.

And Vulgrim knew to well that many of the bloody legends that surrounded the female Horseman were only to true, so his desire to give her a witty comeback didn't manage to climb higher than his fear .

"Sadly I can't tell you were the demon you are searching for is hiding, but I can tell you what his plan might be."

"Is that so? How so?" Strife asked curiously, once again, to Furys dismay.

"Well, I can tell you how because he bought form me, in this exact room only a few weeks ago." the demon said with a grin.

"And what did he buy from you?" Fury asked with as sigh, knowing well how Vulgrim enjoyed it to up the tension and haggle about the price.

"You get one thousand in soul energy as soon as we get back and my power isn't as limited as it is in a human body. Standard price for Information of value." Strife assured the demon, just like Fury knowing what he was waiting for.

"Two thousand souls, price for Information of higher value." Vulgrim added on and received a glare from Fury who surely planned on threatening to simply beat the information out of him if he didn't comply, but Strife was faster then her.

"One thousand and eight hundred in soul energy, and free choosing from your fine weapons and gadgets you got in here since we are such dedicated and well paying customers."

Vulgrim looked from Fury to Strife and back, his illusion perfectly simulating frowning old eyes as he contemplated his options, Fury leaning towards him didn't help in the slightest.

"Alright, I tell you. Consider the deal made." he accepted and waved with both hands to calm the suddenly tense situation.

Fury only backed off a few centimetres, but it was enough to let Vulgrim know that he wasn't in immediate danger.

"So what did he buy?" Strife asked trying to sound comradely.

Vulgrim sighed.

"A bomb. Capable to nearly wipe out a complete human building complex. And enough magical utensils to enhance it if he has the needed supplements."

Strife shook his head and grimaced, good news sounded different, but he wasn't in the last bit surprised.

Vulgrim was known for his shady business after all, and compared to the usual spawns of hell he was at last keeping track to whom he was selling to.

"War told us that the demon has stolen a powerful artefact from a higher demon. I guess that counts as 'needed supplement'?" Fury asked and Vulgrim nodded, feeling slightly guilty under her pricing eyes, which was a strange thing for the demon to feel.

"A artefact of enough magnitude might give his bomb enough power to level an entire building block. And that is before one counts the magical fallout that might happen depending on the artefact." the demon explained hastily.

"Well, we probably still have a few days." Strife noticed with a shrug.

Both Vulgrim and Fury looked at him, trying to determine what he was saying.

"I mean, the humans will celebrate the new year in a few days all over the world. There is no better time to disrupt the world and get as much attention as when you light the fireworks on midnight and steal everyone else's thunder."

Strife explained flatly.

* * *

Officer Sören looked up from the security footage were the man they had had in custody only last night was ripping a security door out for the third time now and still it looked like a fake to the police man.

If he hadn't seen the destroyed door himself he had thought it was just good photo manipulation or some kind of camera trick.

"So, let me count that Felix." He said turning to his college in front of the monitors.

"The guy first kicked the door to our captive in after the guard was taken out by the man who had barricaded himself inside. Then he hunted said man over the balcony, into the hallway, ran over a bunch of orderly, decided that physics are only a guideline and ripped a security door out of it's hinges.

Before he forced the elevator doors open to jump after it instead of taking the stairs directly to the right and demolished the glass entrance of the hospital as he ran after the guy.

Finally he hunted the man on the motorcycle on his bare boots until a bus nearly drove him over.

Do I have all of that right?"

The other officer nodded and shrugged.

"Didn't seem like he was used to giving up." Felix only noted.

"This day is getting stranger as it is growing older. First we have a shoot-out in a restaurant, were it turns out that a suspected crime lord has just murdered one of his own man, with incriminating evidence nearby. And then we get here and have a wild chase were one of the participants thinks he is getting cast for a new Terminator-movie.

And once again we have no idea what is even going on."

"Witnesses identified the man in red as the guy we had in custody last night, and the guard that was knocked out identified his 'brother' who was also there, disguised as a doctor to get closer to the captive. But nothing happened as far as he could tell."

Sören nodded, he already knew all that.

"The question remains, were was their 'sister' by then, and dose this strange family have more members?"

A knock at the door interrupted the two police men and their youngest colleague stepped in.

"Bjarne, what's wrong? Got any news for us?"

'Hopefully good' Sören added on in his head.

"Well, you know, I thought about checking the security cameras in the vicinity of the restaurant were that shoot-out happened in the morning, and they had a bank machine with a camera nearby.

We actually got a photo of the second guy that was restraining the crime boss as he walked out of a side-street and who witnesses said was the one who fired the only shot."

Felix and Sören looked at each-other and back at the young man who was obviously excited at his findings.

"That are good news, what is so unbelievable about that? Why do you look like you are about to jump into the air?" Sören asked as Bjarne walked over to one of the computers and opened a email account to show the footage he mailed to himself.

"You were wondering were the female of the trio went to, and if there were more then the three we know about right? Well, I might have the answer to that." with that the young man called up the first few photos and presented them to the older officers.

Showing them a picture of Strife and Fury walking past the camera arguing about something just at the right moment to get a somewhat good shot of their faces.

"So that is were she went hmm? And the man beside her?"

"He looks exactly like the man the witnesses in the restaurant described. And the time window is right. I am sure she and the man are working together." Bjarne explained his theory with excitement.

"Good work and thinking on your part. We might never have gotten that material if you hadn't inquired on your own. Keep up the good work..."

Sören was about to say more when yet another knock at the door interrupted him.

"Boss, I have something you might want to check out yourself." the female officer declared as she walked in.

"Good news or bad Sophie?" Sören asked as she pointed outside.

"We were asking for witnesses to what happened in the hospital. Most have seen nothing or not enough, as expected. But there was one nurse that arrived just as the things were calming down.

She said she might have seen the man in red, Warfield, one the phone of a man she knows.

She went pretty silent after a while so I think she might fear that someone might get into trouble because of here.

Maybe if you can go an clear some things up we might find out who this guys are connected to."

Sören nodded and turned to Bjarne.

"Can you put the pictures on your laptop and bring it to me? If we have any luck we might find out who that fourth guy is, or at last his name."

The younger man nodded and walked of to find his laptop while Sören sighed.

"I am going to be happy if we finally manage to find out what those guys are up to." he admitted while Felix looked up from his monitors and turned around.

"Don't worry yourself too Death. Whatever they do, it probably wont lead to another War or the end of the World."

Sören sighed again, he should never have told Felix what he thought about their suspects names.

It had been nothing but a bad idea.

* * *

Author Note: Sry for the giant delay but I had some stuff to sort out. But even thought I had this mostly done for a while I actually wanted to go back and do it over several times, which in the end I did not. I don't know why but something keeps bothering me about it.

I am trying to get the get the rest of the story done before the year ends, but I can't make any promises.

It is just, the more I write, the more I notice that "damn, this thing is getting longer then I expected" and suddenly I have three more chapters.

Until then, I hope the current chapters is enjoyable and pleas do tell how obvious it was that Vulgrim was going to be involved.

Reviews are always welcome.


	10. Legends

Police Officer Sören Bergström put his coffee down on the table, sat down beside his colleague Sophie and looked at the young Nurse on the opposite side of the small

hospital room.

The young woman felt visibly uncomfortable in the proximity of the two law enforcers as she avoided eye contact and held her arms close to herself.

Sören shot a quick questioning look at Sophie who only shrugged in response and continued to look trough the files on Bjarnes laptop in front of her.

Knowing that it was on him Sören pushed his coffee to the other side of the table.

The young woman looked up and the officer gave her a hand signal, the coffee was for her.

"Two pieces of sugar, I hope you like it that way." he added on as she carefully reached out and took the cup.

He waited patiently until she had taken a sip and nodded thankfully, giving her a moment to relax before he pressed the issue at hand.

"I think we haven't been introduced yet, my Name is Sören Bergström, I am in charge of the investigation surrounding the incident in the hospital here.

So far we are only processing what even happened, so you should have no reason to be concerned right now, okay?"

The woman nodded, just as cautious as before.

"So..." Sören reached out, trying to find an approach that wouldn't give her a reason to be alarmed.

"...could you start by telling me your name? I am sure my colleagues told me, but with all the names you need to keep inside your head in my job, you know..."

He tried a light smile and her pose lighted just a bit as she sat up to response.

"My name is Laura, Laura Martens." she said in a low voice.

"First time in contact with the police?" he asked with a friendly smile and she nodded.

"True, not even a traffic violation, at last none we or our system would know about." Sophie added on while still looking at the laptop.

The woman looked a bit concerned when Sophie spoke, but relaxed again when Sören picked up where she left off.

"Her point is that you don't have anything to fear from us. You have no criminal record and we are only talking to you as a witness.

Whatever you saw, it won't be used against you in any way." Sören said.

"Expect if you stole sleeping pills from the storage room or something, but that's not something we are asking about." He joked and she answered with a slight smile.

"Listen Laura." he began more serious.

"You told my colleague earlier that you thought you saw the man in red that was causing all that trouble somewhere before. Could you tell us where?"

Laura leaned forward and thought about it for a while before she answered.

"What did that man in red do?" she asked uncertainly.

"As far as we know he attacked and chased after a suspect that had taken out one of our officers who was standing guard over a criminal that was placed under

protection here."

Sophie answered for her superior.

"He is not really a suspect right now either." Sören added on.

"To be honest, we had a run in with him yesterday night, and the worst we can accuse him of here is property damage. Actually things might have gone worse if he

hadn't shown up."

Sophie gave Sören a doubtful look, but played along regardless.

"Yes, in that regard we would need to speak with him so we can make clear what happened today." she added on.

"Any small info where we might find him can be very helpful right now."

Laura nodded and looked form one officer to the other before she finally began to talk.

"I was with a man yesterday. He got a call he didn't pick up, put the face of the caller on the mobile phone was the same as the man in red that stormed out of the

hospital today.

Or at last I think so."

The two police officers looked at each other, came to the same conclusion and Sophie called upon some files on her laptop.

"Could the man be on this photo?" she asked before she turned the device around and showed here the security footage their younger colleague had dug up.

Laura looked at it carefully and took her time to make sure she didn't mistake him.

"Yes, that is him, Steve I mean. Who is that woman beside him?" Laura asked uncertainly.

"She claims to be his sister form what we gathered last night. Do you have his full name, it might help in the long run."

Laura shook her.

"If you got a look at his phone, maybe you can tell me if he had a certain call sign or something?" Sören asked carefully.

Once again Laura thought about it for some time before she continued.

"Yes, I think the mobile phone said 'War' is calling 'Strife'. He explained to me they are the nicknames they are using for each other."

Sören scratched his head and nodded to himself.

So there was at least something to what he had thought about their names, War, Strife, Death, the only nickname that still didn't make sense yet was that of the Sister.

He put the thought on a back-burner.

"One other question Laura, can you tell me where you live?"

* * *

War tensed only slightly as Fury fastened the bandages on his mangled leg.

The bandages were still applied professionally but some of them had more strength in them then others whenever her anger came through.

"Next time you decide to jump in front of a bus tell me and I make sure you stay down alright?"

While War remained visibly unmoved and could just as well have been made of stone while Strife was sitting on Vulgrims vacant Chair and hiding behind one of the

comics he had purchased.

He knew better than to draw attention to himself while his Sister was as charged with anger as she was now.

Fury huffed and fixed the rest of the bandages before she stepped back and looked at her work.

"You still look like shit. Nothing new on that front. But you should be able to stick together for the next few days. Or at last for the next mission.

If you get messed up there as well, I won't be the one who stitches you back together this time around." Fury made clear with a hiss.

War only nodded, pulled his pants over the bandages and looked at his sibling.

"Thank you Fury. I appreciate your help sister." he stated.

Fury groaned and threw her arms up in the air.

"Damn it War! If you could stop jumping into every meat grinder you can find, that would really help me and my nerves a whole lot." Fury admitted with a sigh.

She sighed again and looked her younger brother up and down.

He might have stepped out of the pool of life nearly full grown as one of the last named Nephilim, but somehow he would always be her young brother.

His size and powers in battle be dammed!

"Just try and don't get stabbed or something. I would hate to patch you up yet again." Fury warned.

"Fruitless endeavour Sister." Strife couldn't help but point out from the other side of the room and behind the safety of his literature.

"I bet he will get shot, stabbed or both before we are done here. It's not like he can't take it."

"Who gives a shit about the opinion of people on the cheap seats? Go read your picture books and shut it Strife." Fury took a shot at his expense before turning back

to War.

"Why did neither Death nor you tell me that you actually got shot yesterday?"

"I was on a mission. Fights happen and wounds along with them. There was no need to tell you. And neither did you ask."

He answered flatly, Fury only let out a huff in response.

"Besides, you know the saying, blood is the..." he didn't make it much further.

"Don't say it! Don't finish that sentence; we have all heard it often enough by now. I so don't need that right now!"

"Yea War, why didn't you tell her you got shot? I am sure it would have gone super smooth and everything." Strife couldn't help but chime in sarcastically.

Fury shot him a glare while Strife still pretended that his comic was vastly superior entertainment.

For a moment deadly silence set on the small room which Strife, in a sudden burst of unexpected wisdom, quickly interrupted before it could grow more potent.

He took his eyes of the comic and turned it around so that the others could see its cover clearly.

The big green monster on it was screaming in rage while fighting cowardly scientists that futility tried to run away from it.

"You guys know who that is?" he asked with a grin.

"Your long lost, better looking brother?" Fury guessed deadpan.

"Actually, that's the Hulk, and I think he has more in common with you than any of us dear sister."

Strife stated, his grin growing wider.

"Oh really? And how is that so?" Fury asked, her eyes growing smaller.

"Well, the dude gets stronger the angrier he gets, and if you want something torn down he is the man you wanna' go to. Did I mention he is pretty overpowered?"

Fury moved her head slightly and looked Strife up and down.

"And where is the catch?" she asked with suspicion.

Strife simply shrugged. "Honestly, I don't really know a good one. He might get all super angry on you thought and then even his teammates have some problems to

hold him back or bring him down."

Fury blinked taken aback, obviously expecting something quite different from her brother.

"I guess my point is that my sister is actually really awesome and simply shouldn't be messed with if you want the bones in your body to remain intact."

Strife scratched his head and bit his lip, thinking how else he could continue only to find nothing.

"Yea, seems like I painted myself into a corner here. Totally saw that going different in my mind."

He confessed with half faux smile and a honest shrug.

Fury just shook her head and snickered before she picked up one of the furled bandages and threw it in Strifes general direction.

"You god-damn buffoon!" she complained with a laugh.

War looked on as his older brother theatrically dove for cover and began to beg for mercy even thought Fury didn't even bother to find something else to throw at him.

A corner of his mouth moved just slightly upwards as he witnessed the shenanigans of his siblings.

His brother's trade and power might be one of mischief and chaos, but that didn't mean that he didn't know how to do the opposite. At last if he felt like it.

"... I mean, Black Widow would be a nice comparison too if you like, she has a decent fighting style..." Strife tried to continue as Fury rolled her eyes at his attempt to

appease her.

"... there is also Director Fury, a scary black man right now – Nigga stole your name I guess, and I heard he swears a lot – then again he is 'only' a normal bad-ass

human soo..."

Fury shook her head and sighed.

"No Strife, I think I like the part where you compared me with a undefeatable monster that tears its enemy's limb from limb the most. No take backs."

Strife put his hand up and let his head sink in played defeat.

"So what about you? Anyone that compares to yourself in your wide collection of drawn books?" Fury asked and picked up one of the other comics Strife had thrown

about.

He immediately raised a finger in enlightenment and looked through the stack of comics by his side.

It didn't take long for him to fish out an issue with a flying man in red and gold metal armour on its cover.

"Bang! Iron Man folks!" He introduced with slight bit too much gusto.

Which, knowing Strife, was probably deliberate.

"He invented his own flying combat armour, would probably get jealous if he knew what Heaven can do with magic and stuff. Knows how to hang out and throw a

party. I think we would get along great."

"Dose his profile also mention 'irresponsible, dangerous to himself and others, and likes to make a big entrance?" Fury quipped as she inspected a comic Strife had

thrown to the side.

"Not directly..." Strife avoided the question. "But he definitely knows how to make an entrance. And what does he call himself without the armour in that one movie

again?

'Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.'

I dear say I qualify for all four."

He put up one hand and began counting on his fingers for everyone to see while his siblings watched on with various levels of scepticism.

"Genius: True of course. I invented most of my own gadgets, and some of my best and most innovative guns are made by myself. They are awesome fun if I might add,

especially the chain lightning one."

"If it doesn't blow up in his face at least, or if you ignore the water gun filled with holy water experiment..." Fury scoffed under a held up hand towards War, not even

bothering to whisper.

"I heard that you rascal!" Strife admonished playfully with his one held up finger while Wars lips tugged upwards just slightly.

"Billionaire: Out of the four of us I might be the only one who actually invests all the gilt, gold, soul energy and all the other crap people throw at us, properly. While

you guys might hoard your stuff in your homes or some secret dimension cambers, whathaveyou, I invest my stuff. And guess what?

I easily increase my income if I don't straight up double it."

Strife held up a second finger and leaned back in pride.

"Only because you basically bought your own bar and strip club doesn't mean you are a good business man Strife!" Fury couldn't help to hold back an attempt to wipe

the smug grin of his face.

The rider of the white horse simply took it in stride and held his head high before he continued.

"Playboy: As you all know, my history with the la..."

"Everybody and their mother already knows that one Strife! Get one with it!" Fury shouted at him through a mouthpiece she had formed with her hands.

The Horseman shrugged with played indifference and skipped too the fourth finger on his hand.

"Philantropist: Good old Greek language if I am not mistaken.

Basically means friend to all of humanity at this point in time, or friend to all living things in creation in our case. And all who know me also know that I am nothing but a

friendly man to all that come to me.

I hire mercenaries of all kind, no matter their background. My neighbours all profit from me and I even help them out for a considerably low price. And even if you ask

the angels in heaven themselves..."

Strife took the risk and looked at Fury and War who both were eying him with increasing suspicion.

"...they would probably dive for cover and sound the alarm before you could wreck another of their libraries." His sister finished for him in a deadpan tone.

"That one was a honest mistake, But yea, okay, maybe Philantroph is not my biggest stick. But three out of four isn't that bad of a comparison I might add."

"What about this guy? He reminds me of you for some reason." Fury avoided an answer and held up an issue with a superhero in a full body red suite that held a thug

in a headlock and a gun to his face.

"Don't struggle Compadre or you are going to sneeze out your brains amigo!" His speech bubble said while he winked towards the reader with a wide grin that was

still discernible despite his mask.

"Making bad racial jokes, while twirling his guns around and throwing his 'charm' at everyone that didn't manage to jump down a hole by the count of three.

Totally gets the gist of you with the cover alone."

"That guy is actually Deadpool." Strife stated half alarmed before he suddenly sat straight up in his chair, carefully pulled is cloths straight cleaned his throat and raised

his finger like a delicate gentleman.

"I like to think myself as a more refined creature than this fellow." He said with a played snobby attitude before he fell back into the chair and crossed his legs in the

same lazy attitude as before.

"But no really, he also gets called "The merc with a mouth", because he just doesn't stop talking and quipping.

And before you guys point it out: Yes, I can get on peoples nerves as well, but I for one know the right dose.

With that guy - while he is pretty funny at times I must admit – I always feel like he is not doing it right.

And I also always get the feeling that his abusing his R-rated privileges a bit too much."

Fury raised an eyebrow and looked at Strife with a question on her face.

The rider of the white horse simply sighed.

"Yea, he might be an ass, and I am an ass myself. You are right; there might be some 'slight' overlapping. But I have some great experience at being an ass, with all

the eons passing by and having seen whoknows obviously.

As such he just seems childish to me in most of his efforts. Also, despite what everyone believes about me, I am far more professional.

...

And by far more handsome of course."

He sat back, clicked his tongue and looked challenging from one of his siblings to the other who shared looks themselves.

"It seems like our brother would like to avoid any comparison to the figure called "Deadpool." Fury pointed out with malicious intent in her eyes while War only nodded.

Strife sighed and nodded to himself as he realized what she was getting at.

"And people wonder why I rarely tell the truth." He said to no one in particular as he realized his mistake.

"Says the one how gets on everyone's nerves whenever he can." Fury shot back.

"Seems like you forgot who was the true torture master in this room brother." War couldn't help but point out with a slight note of sympathy in his voice.

"So what about War Mr Deadpool?" Fury asked as she looked at her younger brother.

"Dose one of your Comics have character that compares to him?" she asked with a smirk as she turned her attention to the Warrior who's eyebrows grew closer

together in mistrust.

Strife thought about it with an audible "Hmm..." and put a finger on his temple in thinker pose.

"War you say? Maybe as resolute as Captain America?" he made a wild guessed.

"Who?" War asked with suspicion.

"I thought America was a Continent, not a boat." Fury stated deadpan, which Strife just waved off in played annoyance.

"Okay, the best thing I got is probably Thor, even if they got him all wrong." he pointed out and quit thinking about something better.

"How can anyone get Thor 'wrong'?" Fury asked sceptical.

"Well, for one, he is blond now." Strife stated and started a numerical list with his hands.

"The glorious beard isn't as glorious any more, the second.

He is portrayed less like the brutal warrior that went to suplex Demons and Giants alike every other Thursday and more like a nobel warrior guy that listens to his big

daddy, the third.

The outfit looks really damn funny with the red robe and all, the fourth.

And the complete entire realm of Asgard seems to only consist of one really shiny city, the fifth. … Should I add that guys they call Einherjer in those story's aren't even

worth the name, if they appear at all?"

He waved a sixth finger in the air just slightly.

"Should I go on? I am sure I could find some more I would need to refresh my memory a bit thought. Which reminds me that they basically totally fucked up Ragnarö..."

"Don't get yourself a headache Strife, it totally isn't worth it." Fury laughed and Strife nearly gave up.

"They didn't even get Jörmungandr right..." he blew air out of his mouth like an emptying balloon and shrugged.

"Well, I guess it is a bit difficult when you where there, walked beside them, shared ale with them and witnessed the Twilight of their whole Pantheon right?"

Strife looked at War who nodded in agreement and felt the need to speak up.

"I saw the Thundergod die when the poison of the Worldsnake left its body from the wounds his lightning had inflicted on it. Even the mightiest God couldn't have

walked any further then Thor did."

Fury sighed. He was right.

As enforcers of the council they had seen the planet shattering event of Raganrök first hand.

It hadn't been the first nor the last time they had witnessed a conflict as apocalyptic as when the Aesir kin and their allies had fought against their countless enemy's

in one final conflict that had set the whole realm of Asgard on fire.

It had been up to the horseman to make sure that Surtr, the king of the fire giants, would go back to where he belonged.

Just like they had beaten back the Titans from a ravaged mount Olympus.

They had found many age old friends and even enemy's dead after both.

"Isn't there an ancient legend that at last Balder would somehow return from the brink?" Fury asked flatly.

"That old bundle of sunshine and rainbows?" Strife quipped. "Pretty sure one of use would have found out about him making a comeback tour by now."

"Since we are kind off discussing old friends, do you know wherever Bes is still around or not?"

Fury took her chances once more.

"The little bugger that outlived his own pantheon right? Last time I sought him out he was recovering from a hangover, tried to steal my tobacco and gave me all kinds

of answers.

Expect, of course, the one I wanted.

I would say he is doing pretty well, for a god like him and in his position at last."

Strife answered with a little too uncaring shrug.

"But at last he got me in the right direction to find Baba Yaga, that old hag is certainly not going to die anytime soon, that's for sure.

Speaking of death and such, War, did I hear right that the old maker warrior Osgrim bit the dust some time ago?"

War nodded deliberately.

"Oh, so I didn't hear wrong?" Strife wondered out loud. "I was pretty sure it was horseshit, especially since I heard story's that he died at home in his bed like some

old man. I always guessed he would end up surviving us all."

Strife chuckled without passion and shook his head in disbelief.

War looked up and corrected what Strife thought to be lies.

"He died of old age four years ago, at home in his bed, surrounded by his family."

Strife blinked, shook his head and scratched his ear with a finger before he asked slightly perplex:

"He did what?"

"He died of old age four years ago, at..."

"Yea, I actually got that, stop acting like you don't understand my bullshit. I mean... How? Why? Holy Socks, why didn't you tell me sooner man?!"

Strife threw up his hands in confusion and small hint of anger that didn't make the mistake to linger long.

"I still remember when we fought against him and his people back during the Nephilim Rampages. I know Makers that are older, everyone of us knows at last five that

are. How the hell did he die of old age? Those guys are basically immortal!"

Strife reeled back slightly stunned while Fury only spoke a silent prayer for an old friend.

One of the few her people ever had.

"True, many Makers are older than him, but it was still age that killed him." War replied, with such a slight sorrow on his face that only Fury managed to take notice of

it.

Coming from him that was saying a lot.

"He had two wives in his lifetime, both died or were killed way before came to rest. Both gave him beautiful children, five in total.

Three of his four sons went on to become warriors, just like him. Now only one of his sons and his daughter remain.

Not many could best him in combat, and sometimes your own talent can be your greatest curse.

With the ages he saw his children and beloved die, while he himself endured, like a mountain that watches everything else around him crumble.

When I last spoke to him I asked if he wanted to die with a weapon in hand and he shook his head.

'I've been more than only a warrior in life, if I go I will do so on my own terms'.

And that he did.

When he fell ill he didn't manage to fight it because there was no more fight left to spend for him.

His family had enough time to gather around him and say their goodbyes before his soul went on to the afterlife.

There are worse deaths than his, and he spent his life well.

That is all there is to say."

Strife had his head supported on his hands and his elbows on his legs while he shook his head at War in disbelief.

"We were talking about silly comic book heroes no less than three minutes ago, who allowed you to hit my gloom and doom buttons War? I certainly didn't sign the

papers for this trip, that's for sure!"

He turned to face Fury still shaking his head.

"You asked me how he died. I gave you a solid answer." War stated the facts.

"Solid like a punch in the gut on a Friday evening, yea." Strife admitted with a slight nod.

"Why didn't you tell me about his death sooner? We used to drink beers together as well remember?" he tried once again.

"I had my hands full at that time. And when my sword was clean again I was certain you had already heard about it.

Seeing how you claim that your spies will tell you things none others do." War replied bluntly.

"I thought my 'spies' were bullshiting me on this one." Strife confessed. "And you don't spy on people like Osgrim anyway, shit rarely works out.

But you were friends with Osgrim and some of the other guys like his calibre, if I need info about them I go to you."

"And you got your Information." War pointed out.

Strife only shrugged and nodded at the same time in a gesture of resignation.

"Well, you aren't wrong. You know what happened to his halberd?"

"His son inherited it. He plans on using it himself."

"Means I can't go and get my fingers on it?"

"Not if you want to keep them."

"Well, it was a nice weapon, fully integrated..."

Strife stopped talking as he saw Fury softly shaking her head at him.

He shrugged again and gave up, his sister knew him to well.

She was right; there was no point in feigning indifference.

He was certain even War was only playing along.

"Awshit!" he exclaimed and leaned back.

"Everyone and there mom is biting the dust sooner or later. Isn't that the truth anyway?" he stated and knocked on the wood of his chair.

"We are just the guys that are going to be around and attend every single one of their funerals because the council doesn't even want to let their expensive toys to

die in peace.

Or should I say, 'stay dead'?"

He clapped his hands together half-heartedly and gave his trademark grin.

Sure, lower demons and monsters usually found it at last annoying or irritating, enough to provoke a fight or worse, but he was in front of his siblings.

Even War could easily see that his brother was tired of seeing old ally's, associates and friends move on to the afterlife while they remained behind no matter how

many times they had died in the name of the council.

It was a feeling they all shared in one way or another.

"On the other hand, we can be happy that we are allowed our occasional fuckups. Some of my deaths might have been a bit embarrassing if they would have been the

last thing people remembered of me. You guys remember that story with the two succubuses in the fourth circle of hell?"

Fury nodded with a slight grin a sigh.

After all, any death that included eight galleons of syrup, three confused chicken, a faked card game and various reports of a stark naked Strife fighting for his life with rotten eggs while managing to burn down the brothel he was in, was born to become one story that wouldn't be forgotten so soon.

"What, those two were pretty persuasive. I take no responsibility for having lost my clothes and armour in a solid card game." He tried to defend himself with a sly

grin.

Fury couldn't help but chuckle at the story itself and especially Strifes face when the council brought his soul back from the brink, even if they waited ten years to 'teach

him a lesson'.

Even War shook his head in badly played disappointment to try and hid that his lips weren't as much of a line as he would like.

If one day Strife was neither able nor trying to turn a formerly cheerless situation into the opposite, no matter how awkward his methods, one knew that things were

to be taken serious.

"It is not like all of the ones we once fought with and against all died out over night either."

War stated and managed to banish the smile from his lips.

"Yea? On the top of your head, who of the old class is still up and going strong?" Strife asked with amusement.

"Michael is still one of the oldest angels in existence, and a formidable foe to boot. Or..."

"Or his brother Lucy." Strife interrupted. "Dude still hasn't gotten over the fact that he got his butt kicked by his bro and went to overthrow the last regent of hell.

Only so he can make his own heaven "with blackjack and hookers" ... at last that's what I have heard. The old cry baby." Strife couldn't help but make a snide remark.

"It's not like he managed to outsmart your web of lies and tricks on several occasions before." Fury didn't even feel slightly guilty at her remark.

Strife shrugged and gave an admitting nod.

"There might be a reason why the call him 'The prince of lies' and all that, but I assure you that my methods have more elegance and class."

Strife protested and patted his own back in a play full manner.

"And I like to claim that I won most of our little scuffles."

He tried to downplay his involvement.

"Anyway, since we are checking on old associates." Fury cut in before their talk could flow any further.

"What about Wukong? I am fairly certain he is still going strong, or am I wrong?" she wanted to know with a look at Strife.

"Why are you asking me?! How should I know where that guy is jumping about? Do I look like I hang out with him often or something?"

Strife wanted to know as he slammed his fist down in a sudden mood swing of played up offence.

Once again he only had to look at War and Fury who both weren't buying it.

After all, He and Wukong had been found working with or against each other on several occasions eons before.

"Okay, okay." He calmed down since denying wasn't a real possibility.

"I seriously don't know where he is going around those days. It has been a couple of ages since we last hung out together.

Pretty sure some story's say he slipped and fell on a banana peel or something.

But that kind of rumour goes around every other century.

And you know how the saying goes when it comes to beings of our calibre: 'The reputed dead live the longest.'

So until I found his dead body, a source I can trust that attests he is dead, or get my hands on some other trustworthy information, I am going to assume that he is

just hanging out in one of the farthest corners of creation.

It is not the first time he would have taken a timeout for a couple of century anyway.

Which reminds me, you know who doesn't stay dead for long, despite rumours of the opposite?"

Strife made a brief pause for suspension as he looked from one rider to the other.

Fury only rolled her eyes at his antics while War didn't even grant him that.

"Comic Book heroes, that's who."

He made jazz hands when he put forth his reveal as if it was a surprise worthy of applause, only to act dismayed when neither of the two reacted accordingly.

"Yea okay, I already thought that was common knowledge by now." He said in played sadness.

"Seems like we have gone full circle and made it back to comic books hm?" Fury commented while Strife still acted disappointed.

"So why do they not stay dead for long?" she asked with a sigh when Strife didn't bother to change his act.

As soon as the last word left her mouth Strife sat himself straight up again and cleared his throat like a machine that had received new batteries.

Fury knew that she had just played straight into the hands of his small scale drama, but if it meant they would have something more to talk about while they waited it probably wouldn't hurt.

"It is actually quite simple." Strife said and moved his thumps over his fingers in a well known signal for flowing money.

"Wouldn't want to kill of a well selling character now, would you? That's why you can be sure that Superman will be back a few issues down the road because he never

'really' was dead, or happened to regenerate somehow.

Even that one friend character that fell down a massive height didn't freeze to death in the snow. Nope, he was just conveniently picked up for a ride and shows up a

few decades later.

Meanwhile Loreal Thor survives Ragnarök itself, because - Odin Force! – or something along that line, don't brother with the small print stuff.

Not saying the old gods didn't have their workarounds in some cases, or that they were some hard bastards to begin with, but as we know most of them didn't stick

around until forever either."

He made a quick pause when an absurd idea popped into his head and then decided to go on either way.

"Which leads me to belief that we might actually be good material for a comic book ourselves?"

Strife shrugged helplessly when his siblings eyed him up and down, not certain if he was joking or serious.

"Hey, the idea just came to me and beat me over the head when I wasn't looking. I mean, I can see it, it wouldn't be totally unreasonably."

He tried to defend his idea but without much conviction himself.

"We are fighting monsters, criminals and fanatics every other day. Much excitement, very intriguing, everyone goes wow.

We are a bunch of misfits stuck with powers and a job far above our pay grade... in fact we rarely get even paid ...

And!"

He once more made a quick pause to heighten the 'suspense'.

"With the charred council bringing us back every time we bite the dust – if they feel generous or need us even in the matter of a few months and without taking our

stuff – we would even have a good explanation for why we suckers are still around.

I mean, yea, sometimes it sucks a bit. But on the other hand, if my first death would have stuck, I would never have gone on to hunt demons while riding a giant fire

snake on molten lava – got them all by chasing them of a lava fall bytheway – and that is one of the story's people would be burning to hear."

Strife put his hands against his hips in pride like a woodcutter that was certain he had his task completed just right.

"Which makes the council the sadistic company owners that just won't let us die for their profit right?" Fury asked deadpan.

"It's not like our resurrection insurance isn't something nice to have, I mean we would probably be damn to hell – literally – by now. But yea, in the end that would

truly make them the insufferable bureaucratic company heads nobody likes but everyone has to work with."

Strife admitted.

"From a certain point of view at last." He added on.

Everyone knew that Strife was the least to follow the council's laws and orders by the letter and used every way to interpret them how he saw fit, a fact they were

aware of.

But even thought he and his bosses rarely got along he still knew better than to be openly defiant if he could help it.

After all they still were mostly on the same side.

"Hey, who knows, maybe we can even get them to loan us a start up money to publish our own comic?" He threw into the room.

"Where?" War simply asked.

Strife shrugged. "Here on earth of course. Where else? Heaven or Hell wouldn't buy that crap as well."

"Yes, of course." Fury quipped. "And once the apocalypse actually happens they can go like 'Hey look, it is Strife, the guy from the comics. He is just as idiotic as in

them!' while they get slaughtered by heaven and hell. It's going to be real great."

Strife blew ait out his nose in amusement. "Like humanity will ever get up to pace with the big players. Even with all their technology and exciting arsenal of death they

have by now, they wouldn't stand a chance even if both parties would only send their infantry and kept their flying fortresses and fleets at home.

They have no magic talent anymore and probably will never reach the level of readiness needed that is told of in the prophecies. At last not in the next ten thousand

years, give or take.

And then there is the part where they have only one world to fall back to while heaven and hell both life in at last half a dozen of main realms, and that's not counting

their allies.

I mean... we could just try it for a few dozen decades as a hobby and see how it goes."

"And who would draw those comics?" Fury asked amused enough at Strifes day dreaming to play along.

"Well, I thought ... maybe ... if possible, we all would have a go at it?" Strife explained while scratching his head and acting all uncertain.

"Admittedly, Wars drawing skills might be a bit rusty, but if we all work together and put all our passion, love and some sunshine and rainbows into it we might get

something..."

Fury shook her head and was about to point out why his plan wouldn't work – or at last not as flawless as he thought – when the door to the small back door finally

opened and Death stepped in.

He was followed by Vulgrims illusion of an old man and they were both carrying a wooden crate between them that they sat up on one of the desks.

"Ah, finally you guys made it. We nearly bored ourselves to death here." Strife welcomed them with a quip.

Death had heard the pun so many times that he wisely elected to ignore it and turned to Fury.

"Anything I should know?" he asked

Before his sister could answer Strife cut in.

"We just all decided that my idea of creating our own comic books with us as the protagonists is great. War said it was cool, Fury said it was mega, I am fire and flame.

When do we start?

Bytheway, you can't protest, we outnumber you."

Death only ignored his bother once more and focused on Fury.

"He just had one of his ideas that sound great in his head until he actually tries it and gets flak from the charred council for it or burns his figners.

Nothing special." Fury stated unconcerned with Strifes antics behind her back.

"I leave you alone for twenty minutes and that is what you come up with." Death observed with a disappointed scowl.

Strife shrugged and poked out his tongue in protest.

"We were all alone without our daddy and got bored. What gives, at last we didn't burn the place down."

Vulgrim ignored the last comment and raised a finger.

"I for one would certainly be interested in selling those com..."

Death brought him to silence with a simple look.

"Don't give him any ideas." He ordered, and the merchant was fast to step back into the shadows.

"Did you find out where the demon is hiding?" War cut straight through the chatter and to the case.

"The details I got form the unconscious thug in the hospital were enough to determine that he is in an old warehouse not far from a busy hotel block.

Vulgrim was wise enough to bring up a city map and we could pinpoint it. He even got his hands on a copy of the building plans."

"We are at two thousand eight hundred in soul energy by now." The demon commented with a sly smile towards Strife who simply shrugged like he didn't care.

"Im ain't paying all of that foshua."

"We all pay a part." Death made clear with a voice that didn't leave room for any negotiations and continued.

"Either way, form what I gathered in the hospital is that our little demon called Jacob is assembling a small army in that building and digging himself in. War observed

that his men were trying to sell weapons to another group of criminals, so if he got some to spare he is probably well equipped by now.

Maybe he is actually expecting a heavenly purging squad and wants to feed them cannon fodder, or he is planning something else alongside the part with the bomb

our friend here so casually sold to him along with the weapons."

Death gave Vulgrim a look, who in turn moved up his hands in defence.

"I figured he could have bought form someone else if he really needed it anyway. And I did warn you." He spoke up.

"Yea, and you thought you get some of his good cash while at it. Money dear boy right?"

Despite Strife sounding like he was mocking him his face was devoid of any animosity.

Probably because he knew he had done similar things before.

"We are going to attack the warehouse tonight." Death continued. Before he knows what hit him and he has a chance to react or escape. We just have to decide on

the how and formulate some form of plan before we embark since Vulgrim might be able provide us with weapons and equipment. Any questions so far?"

Strife flipped a finger.

"Any of the two? Then I want a drone and a tank." He demanded with his head held high and ignoring the tiered eyes of his oldest brother.

"What, he got one thousand more soul energy than before." He defended himself when Fury turned around to give him a similar look. "Hey, if you calculate the

exchange rate with human paper money you prob get far more than it costs to buy a small tank."

"However right you may or may not be is irrelevant." Vulgrim cut in.

"The laws of this country already make it difficult enough to buy and sell weapons effectively, getting my hands on a tank in this part of the earth is nearly impossible

and even more impossible to drive it around without someone noticing and calling the law enforcement."

He pointed out.

"Well fuck them, I have a tank," Strife didn't seem to care.

"They would call upon the military for assistance. I am sorry, if we were in a country more to the east or west I might be able to call in some favours.

But unless we are to meet again in a Warzone or a country with laxer and more business friendly law enforcement there is nothing I can do for you at the moment."

Vulgrim apologized.

"So what about the drone then?" Strife asked slightly miffed.

"I see what I can do..." the demon made amends as Death opened the wooden crate audible and pulled out a roll of paper.

"In there is our equipment so far and here is the plan of the building."

He pointed out and put the plan on the table besides War ready to do business.

"We have one main door, a garage and a back door. I have a rough plan but the following problems.

Let's work this out shall we?"

* * *

"You have what?" Sören asked a second time as he leaned down to Bjarne and his laptop.

"I might have a trail to where we might find the guy and the woman that were involved in the shoot out in the cafe this morning." The young officer repeated a bit

uncertain.

"You see, I checked the address of the nurse you questioned and estimated the time from when she said the man left her and the time witnesses said the duo arrived

at the coffee.

I was able to narrow down which roads they probably must have taken based on that and looked if our colleagues from the traffic department had anything to report

in those roads and at the time.

I found a few things, but one that poked out was the one where..."

"Bjarne, is there a shorter version of this?" Sören asked.

The young man nodded diligent.

"I found video records of the duo and their car on a red light. And an half an hour ago I got news from the traffic department that they had a report in which the same

car with the same traffic license had been parked wrong.

I think I should have managed to get the right location by now and maybe we find the duo together with the other two from the hospital in the area?"

Sören nodded to Felix and Sophie with pride.

"That is one good trail Bjarne. I wouldn't count on anything, but it is so far the only real trail we have on both cases, so we go check up on it."

The older officer put on his jacket and his colleagues did the same.

"You stay here, and keep your eyes open." Sören said when Bjarne was about to get up.

"If this leads to something I might pay you a round." Felix said as he left.

Sophie gave the younger man a thumps up, maybe now they would be able to find some closure about what had happened today.

Or what in hell was going on to begin with.

* * *

"Hm... and he attacked you?" The deep voice asked from the other side of the mobile phone.

"Yes, he ran after me like a madman! I have never seen a man go that fast!" the second voice was certainly less calm.

"With white hair and a giant, that's all that I saw. I was too busy running to recall the rest."

"Was he as big as me?" the deep voice asked.

The second man was slightly bewildered by that question but still answered.

"Yea, probably..."

"And he was alone?

"As far as I could tell yea."

"Good, he should be no problem.

Come back when you can. We might advance our timetable."

The demon in human disguise ended the call and leaned back in his chair.

Normally angels weren't so stupid to try and keep their hair colour in human disguise, but this one seemed all muscle and no brain.

If this was what the angelic enforcers where sending after him, his army would make quick work of him. That was if he even managed to find this hideout in the first

place.

There might be a few more out there, but if he managed to fulfil his plan at the right time he wouldn't really need to deal with them anyway.

No, he had planed everything in advance, there was no way they would see it before it was too late.

Even if they would send one of the horseman's themselves, he was sure he would be able to come out on top.

After all, if this personal mission was going to be a success there was no way the demonic hierarchy could ignore him any longer.

Hundreds would be dead before this year ended, and that was only the start.

Not even the creator could know how deep humanity would be plunged into death and misery.

As he chuckled to himself Jacob was sure, there would be no happy new year this time.

* * *

Author Note:

What can I say other than sorry this didn't see the light of day a lot sooner.

I also like to mention that I am no expert at the topic of comic books and similar, just to be safe.

On the other hand, I just like the idea that the world of Darksiders is a "all myths are true" kind of setting, which could be well used for background history or items,

armour, weapons and npcs ect imo.

Also, like before, every time I think I get closer to the end I realise that I probably need more chapters.

If somebody might be annoyed by only talking in this chapter the next chapter might end up the opposite if I do things right.

Sadly I can't promise I will be able to end it before this year ends thought. (gawddamit!)

Either way, Reviews are always welcome, and much thanks to the ones I got so far.


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